CDC Releases Thanksgiving Guidelines for 2020
We all have to admit, 2020 has been one of the strangest years we have ever lived through. That is mostly caused by the coronavirus. It's changed the way we do so many things...including our holiday celebrations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released their suggested guidelines for how we should celebration Thanksgiving this year.
Thanksgiving is a time when many families travel long distances to celebrate together. But travel can increase the chances of getting and spreading COVID-19. The CDC says staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others. If you do decide to travel, please be informed of the risks involved.
The organization put together a list of low, medium, and high risk activities involving the Thanksgiving holiday. They break them down like this on their official website...
Lower risk activities:
- Having a small dinner with only people who live in your household
- Preparing traditional family recipes for family and neighbors, especially those at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, and delivering them in a way that doesn’t involve contact with others
- Having a virtual dinner and sharing recipes with friends and family
- Shopping online rather than in person on the day after Thanksgiving or the next Monday
- Watching sports events, parades, and movies from home
Moderate risk activities:
- Having a small outdoor dinner with family and friends who live in your community
- Lower your risk by following CDC’s recommendations on hosting gatherings or cook-outs.
- Visiting pumpkin patches or orchards where people use hand sanitizer before touching pumpkins or picking apples, wearing masks is encouraged or enforced, and people are able to maintain social distancing
- Attending a small outdoor sports events with safety precautions in place
Higher risk activities: Avoid these higher risk activities to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.
- Going shopping in crowded stores just before, on, or after Thanksgiving
- Participating or being a spectator at a crowded race
- Attending crowded parades
- Using alcohol or drugs, which can cloud judgement and increase risky behaviors
- Attending large indoor gatherings with people from outside of your household
In other words...stay at home, enjoy eating that turkey TV dinner by yourself, no drinking, and no shopping.
Can we just skip Thanksgiving this year if those are the guidelines?!