'Protect yourself and others': CDC recommends virtual Thanksgiving celebrations as coronavirus pandemic drags on
Add Thanksgiving to the growing list of things that will be happening over Zoom this year. As families across the US prepare for holiday season, the CDC has released a guidance for how to celebrate the holiday without spreading the virus. The main takeaway? Stay home.
“Thanksgiving is a time when many families travel long distances to celebrate together,” the recommendations state. “Travel increases the chance of getting and spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others.”
The advice divides Thanksgiving celebrations into three different tiers of safety. The least risky are small, at-home gatherings with members of your household, shopping for food online, watching sports or parades from your couch, and delivering food in a Covid-safe way to relatives or neighbors who might need it.
More risky are small outdoor gatherings with people from within one community, outdoor outings at Covid-safe pumpkin patches and orchards, and small sports events with necessary precautions.
The highest risk ways to celebrate Turkey Day involve shopping in stores near or on Thanksgiving Day, attending crowded in-person events, and participating in large indoor gatherings with people from outside a single household.
The imperative to celebrate safely could not be stronger. Even single family events can have a massive ripple effect. An August wedding in Maine, for example, is linked to an estimated 177 coronavirus cases, including seven deaths.
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