Re: condolences
I am with Artangel on this one. Hugging someone who is out of your 'social bubble', 100% no no because the risks are too great. I've had a number of younger relatives who have caught the virus, they tested positive, had extremely bad flu like symptoms, isolated for 14 days and all well after that. I do not know what all my relatives do on a day to day basis, who they mix with, who they meet up with.
I've got too many elderly relatives who I know would die if they caught the virus and thus I have been in that exact situation where a relative has reached out with open arms for what I've assumed to be wanting a hug and I've backed off and just held their hands (both of us gloved and masked of course). I've had to work all through the pandemic whilst other close family members have been furloughed and thus they have been able to create there own 'social bubble' where then can still hug one another but as soon as I or anyone else from outside of that social bubble enter, it's no touching regardless of how much anyone of them want a hug.
A very close family died recently, funeral was only a couple of weeks ago. During the relatives diminishing weeks and days, only the relatives partner was allowed to visit but even then no hugs were allowed. At the funeral and then at the wake, no hugs even though you could see many many relatives in emotional pain.
It's been extremely hard this year for my family due to the virus and the restrictions placed upon everybody but we have all educated ourselves on the dangers that the virus could bring to the family due to how many of the family are in the high risk category.
I had to see a very close family member die before my eyes, a person who I was not able to hug, a person who wanted hugs but i was not allowed to by the medical staff who was looking after my relative. It hurts knowing the person passed away without being able to have hugs for comfort in the last few days they had left. It still hurts now and I am sure it will hurt for a very long time BUT i know the reasons why myself and other family members were not allowed to hug and they also understood the reasons why too.
Due to the virus I've not been able to hug ANY family member since the pandemic was issued. I know hugs give comfort but my family knows the risks of someone from outside of their 'social bubble' hugging them would be extremely risky.
So in short, conclusion, would i step back, walk away from a pair of out stretched arms, yes of course, I've even had too. If I was not able to do so with very very close family members, I am certainly not going to do so with friends or close acquaintances.