With the holidays approaching and many citizens hankering for a break from social distancing, the CDC and local health experts are warning that COVID-19 is spiking in much of the country and social gatherings remain a potential hazard.
"The last thing you want is a holiday tragedy where somebody gets really sick, and it spoils the whole thing," said Dr. Stephen Bickel, medical director at the Florida Department of Health-Flagler.
Bickel is advising caution this holiday season: Holiday gatherings with people outside your household are a risk, he said.
"I’m not going to any," Bickel said. "If I was, it’d be wearing a mask. ... It’s high risk, there’s a tendency to take your mask off, and how do you limit the number of people — it’s just hard."
A holiday party is not like a classroom or an office where people are confined to assigned seats that can be spaced well apart, he said.
But, he added, "If you’re going to have a holiday event, I definitely would avoid having it inside — I'd consider avoiding it entirely. Outdoors is thought to be 10-20 times safer than indoors. So if you have a choice of eating outside versus inside, I'd always pick the outside."
To be as safe as possible, he said, you'd also have to limit the numbers and wear masks — and, he noted, gatherings that revolve around shared meals aren't conducive to constant mask-wearing.
"We want to get through this," he said. "I just think this is a time to be cautious, to hunker down. ... Even though people are tired of this, that doesn’t mean it’s gone."
CDC issues holiday suggestions
Health experts have warned that gatherings involving people outside your household are a potential COVID-19 risk.
But if you do decide to hold a holiday event, here are some things you can do to help mitigate the danger, according to the Centers for Disease Control at cdc.gov:
- Host outdoor activities rather than indoor activities as much as possible. If hosting an outdoor event is not possible, and you choose to host an indoor event, avoid crowded, poorly ventilated, or fully enclosed indoor spaces.
- Increase ventilation by opening windows and doors to the extent that is safe and feasible based on the weather.
- Host activities with only people from your local area as much as possible.
- Limit numbers of attendees as much as possible.
- Provide updated information to your guests about any COVID-19 safety guidelines and steps in place to prevent the spread of the virus.
- Provide or encourage attendees to bring supplies to help you and others stay healthy. For example, extra masks (do not share or swap with others), hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, and tissues.
- If you are planning in-person holiday gatherings with people outside of your household, consider asking all guests to strictly avoid contact with people outside of their households for 14 days before the gathering.
- Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet or more from people you don’t live with. Be particularly mindful in areas where it may harder to keep this distance, such as restrooms and eating areas.
- Avoid using restroom facilities at high traffic times, such as at the end of a public event.
- Avoid busy eating areas, such as restaurants during high volume mealtimes, if you plan to eat out at a restaurant.
- Minimize gestures that promote close contact. For example, do not shake hands, bump elbows, or give hugs. Instead wave and verbally greet others.
- Wear a mask at all times when around people who don’t live in your household to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.
- Avoid singing, chanting, or shouting, especially when not wearing a mask and within 6 feet of others.
- Clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces and any shared items between use when feasible. Use EPA-approved disinfectants.
- Use touchless garbage cans if available. Use gloves when removing garbage bags or handling and disposing of trash. Wash hands after removing gloves.
- Make sure everyone washes their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds before and after preparing, serving, and eating food. Use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
- Instead of potluck-style gatherings, encourage guests to bring food and drinks for themselves and for members of their own household only.
- Limit people going in and out of the areas where food is being prepared or handled, such as in the kitchen or around the grill, if possible.
- Wear a mask while preparing or serving food to others who don’t live in your household.
- If serving any food, consider having one person serve all the food so that multiple people are not handling the serving utensils.
- Use single-use options or identify one person to serve sharable items, like salad dressings, food containers, plates and utensils, and condiments.
- Avoid any self-serve food or drink options, such as buffets or buffet-style potlucks, salad bars, and condiment or drink stations. Use grab-and-go meal options, if available.
- If you choose to use any items that are reusable (e.g., seating covers, tablecloths, linen napkins), wash and disinfect them after the event.
- Look for healthy food and beverage options, such as fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and low or no-calorie beverages, at holiday gatherings to help maintain good health.
- After the celebration: If you participated in higher risk activities or think that you may have been exposed during your celebration, take extra precautions (in addition the ones listed above) for 14 days after the event to protect others: Stay home as much as possible; avoid being around people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19; consider getting tested for COVID-19.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html.
