The holiday season is officially upon us! As the theme of 2020 continues to be to adapt, we must also apply this to holiday gatherings including Thanksgiving. More than one million COVID-19 cases were reported in the United States over the last seven days. As cases continue to increase rapidly across the United States, the safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving is to celebrate at home with the people you live with.
To keep yourself and those around you safe, we suggest the following tips from the CDC. As always, we want our residents and their loved ones to have fun while being safe and healthy.
Tips for hosts to follow:
- Have a small outdoor meal with family and friends.
- Limit the number of guests to 10 people or less.
- Have conversations with guests ahead of time to set expectations for celebrating together.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and items between use.
- If celebrating indoors, make sure to open windows.
- Limit the number of people in food preparation areas.
Wear a mask when not eating or drinking.
- Wear a mask with two or more layers to stop the spread of COVID-19.
- Wear the mask over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin.
- Make sure the mask fits snugly against the sides of your face.
Stay at least 6 feet away from others who do not live with you.
Wash your hands.
- Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Keep hand sanitizer with you and use it when you are unable to wash your hands.
- Use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
Explore alternative celebration options.
- Host a virtual Thanksgiving meal with friends and family who don’t live with you.
- Watch television and play games with people in your household.
- Safely prepare traditional dishes and deliver them to family and neighbors in a way that does not involve contact with others (for example, leave them on the porch).
- Participate in a gratitude activity, like writing down things you are grateful for and sharing with your friends and family.
We know that the above practices are very different from normal Thanksgiving traditions. However, these changes are just temporary and if we do everything we can to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and flatten the curve, we will be able to get back to traditional celebrations. For more information on COVID-19 and safety practices, go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.