HALIFAX, NS—With relationships strained by the numerous Covid restrictions implemented over the past two years, many are left with fractured friend groups, unsure of who they can really count on. 

Halifax local, Gene Kilby, has felt especially lonesome after the most recent shrinking of social circles. 

“It was the loneliest Christmas in memory. My heart skipped a beat when I got a call from public health letting me know I was a close contact of someone who had tested positive for Covid” Kilby explained. 

“To hear that I was considered close to someone, and for that to be confirmed by a government agency—it just about brought a tear to my eye. It’s been months since I’ve felt close to someone, and once I’m out of isolation, I can’t wait to see this relationship blossom,” he continued.

The Mackerel reporter interviewing Kilby did not have the heart to explain the unsentimental nature of the term. 

By Sam Cutcliffe