The holidays have always been filled with mandatory friends and family gatherings, but because of the pandemic, this year’s holiday celebrations will look remarkably different than in previous years. Now months into the pandemic, we begin to learn more about the impact of mass gatherings and its responsibility for spreading the virus especially to more vulnerable populations like children and senior citizens. Hence, it comes as no surprise that considerations must be made to how we conduct family gatherings.
Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean that we have to abandon the idea of having a remotely plausible and enjoyable holiday season. Instead, we must recognize the need for additional precautionary measures and think of new, innovative ways to safely gather as a family. The first thing you should do is have an honest conversation with your friends and family about their own vulnerabilities and the risks they may pose in their family and community. Once this has been done, you may start planning around people’s needs, preparing for all possible last-minute changes and considering the various ways that the virus can be contracted.
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As we approach the holiday season, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a list of suggested safety measures and precautions that they recommend one make when planning holiday celebrations. I have summarized their most valuable measures which can be helpful to your own gatherings. These can be found below:
1. Consider a small gathering
Although the CDC did not have a specific number in mind for limiting social gatherings, it is still recommended that gatherings be determined by how well the guests can maintain a safe distance from each other, wear masks, wash hands and follow local rules and regulations. So, if you and your family are planning to hold a gathering, consider trimming down the list of guests to prioritizing only immediate family members who are less vulnerable and are able to travel safely to the destination.
2. Host an outdoor gathering rather than something indoors
Aside from limiting the number of guests, the CDC also highly recommends hosting holiday celebrations outdoors where there is an increase in air ventilation and the risk of contracting the virus is lowered, still only if appropriate measures are accompanied by an outdoor event. So, if you’re planning on hosting an event at home, consider setting it up in your backyard with only less than 10 people attending, all still wearing masks and practicing social distancing even to some extent.
3. Require guests to wear masks and bring their own alcohol, tissues or hand sanitizer
What we’ve all been accustomed to at this point of the year is the importance of wearing a mask and washing hands to keep the possibility of contracting the virus less plausible. So, during social gatherings and holiday celebrations, remember to create an easily accessible space for guests to wash hands and clean themselves up before the party begins. Also, encourage guests to bring their own hand sanitizers or disinfectants which they can use upon arriving at the venue.
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4. Avoid potluck-style gatherings when celebrating with guests who are not members of the household
Although holidays are all about potlucks and passing food around the table, it is recommended by the CDC that potluck-style gatherings be avoided during this time because of the risk of increasing contact with other guests and possibly contaminating food with germs. If someone is serving food to everyone, require the person to wear a mask and gloves while serving food in a designated space.
5. Encourage guests to monitor their health and exposure before and after the gathering
One primary way we can all lessen the contraction of the virus is to monitor our own health before and after being exposed to gatherings. Before arriving at the celebration, encourage guests to report their health, how they’re feeling and where they have recently been exposed to a large number of people. After the celebration, encourage your guests to continuously monitor their health and how they’re feeling to protect not only themselves but also others they may come in close contact with.
6. Deep clean after the gathering
After inviting a number of people to your home, it is highly recommended to disinfect areas where increased close contact was made during the celebration like doorknobs, light switches, beams, tables, chairs, lamps, windows, utensils, plates, glasses and so much more. If possible, to help limit your deep cleaning after the celebration, only assign a certain part of the home for the celebration so you are able to control the flow of people and the contact of humans to items in your home.
Although the holiday season may look entirely different from what we are used to, remember that we are only doing this out of love and compassion for the people in our communities and our families. By using this list of tips from the CDC, we are not only protecting our homes from possible virus contraction, but we are also ensuring the safety of the vulnerable people in our lives so that we can comfortably enjoy more holidays together.