We all knew that this holiday season would be a bit messed up. Given that we are to be very cautious this Halloween, which at the time of this writing is only a few days away, it doesn’t come as a shock that the CDC would also put out guidelines concerning Thanksgiving as well. They have released a list of different levels of safety for things that we can do to celebrate turkey day.
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
We also know that some places have opted out of having “Black Friday” this year because of COVID. Places like Target, Best Buy, and Walmart have already said that they would be foregoing the normal holiday sales. They have however said that the sale prices would be offered throughout the season instead so that instead of just one day it would go on for the whole shopping season. Which should deter the large crowds that you would normally see lining up Thanksgiving Day.
You can read the full CDC guidelines for Thanksgiving here.
