2020 has been difficult for everyone. No matter your situation, the COVID-19 virus has impacted our lives in one way or another. Most importantly, it has separated us from our loved ones as we try to reduce the spread of the disease.
As the holiday season is upon us, many are planning to travel and see their families for the first time in many months. While we all want nothing more than to be close with our family and friends, it’s more critical now than ever to consider the spread of COVID-19.
Unfortunately, the Coronavirus is still prevalent in the United States as reported cases are rising every day. Whether you’re hosting or traveling this holiday season, you and your loved ones need to plan to accommodate for the virus.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a set of guidelines for how to best navigate holiday travel during the pandemic. These guidelines will help you and your loved ones safely and consciously celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.
Try to Limit Your Number of Guests
The CDC believes that the virus has a higher chance of spreading when you gather with people from outside your household. Your household is anyone who does not currently share a living space with you. So anyone coming from outside your home, be it a distant relative or your next-door neighbor, can increase the chances of the virus spreading.
You should also avoid visiting those who are at risk for severe illness. If you know someone with a pre-existing medical condition that makes them more susceptible to the symptoms of COVID, or are older and frailer, you should avoid seeing them in-person for the time being.
If possible, try to host a small dinner with only the people in your immediate household. It can be tough to turn away your friends and family, but there are alternatives to holding a large gathering. Here are some ideas if you’re stuck:
- Hosting a virtual dinner or hangout
- Making a group phone call
- Sharing recipes in a group message
- Leaving safely prepared food with neighbors
While these options aren’t perfect, they still allow you to share the joy of the season with the people who matter most to you.
Accommodate Your Space to Prevent COVID-19
If you’ve already made plans that are too late to change, the next best thing is to accommodate your household for COVID-19. Here are a few easy steps you can take reduce the spread of the disease:
- If you know you’re traveling, try to self-quarantine for 14 days before you leave, and then for 14 days once you come back.
- Try to maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet apart between tables and chairs.
- Make sure everyone wears a mask when not eating or drinking.
- Disinfect surfaces and items often.
- Have plenty of hand soap and hand sanitizer around your home
- If possible, and the weather permits, try to eat or gather outside while maintaining the other steps.
- If anyone is staying the night, try to keep people in separate bedrooms.
The most important thing is to follow these guidelines consistently. COVID easily spreads within groups gathered in small or poorly ventilated spaces, or when people fail to follow these guidelines. We all need to do our part to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus and keep our loved ones safe this year.
Do Your Research
While none of these options are as effective as staying home with your immediate household, they are nice alternatives. Many of us just want to see our distant friends and family again, and if we can all do our part, we can keep seeing them for the years to come.
The best thing you can continue to do is to follow the CDC guidelines listed on their website. As we learn more about COVID-19, the CDC is providing the most up-to-date safety guidelines and research. If you have any questions or concerns, they should be your number one resource.
Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/holiday-travel-safety-2020-pandemic/index.html
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html