Thanksgiving is less than two months away, and just like everything else this year, the celebrations will look different than usual. The Centers for Disease Control issued COVID-19 safety guidelines for the fall holiday.
Similar to how it looked at Halloween activities, the CDC ranked holiday traditions from "low risk" to "high risk." Here's what the CDC recommends:
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
- 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 and drugs, which can cloud judgment and increase risky behaviors
- Attending large indoor gatherings with people from outside of your household
As well as Thanksgiving, the CDC has also issued advice for Día de los Muertos and other fall gatherings.
For more information about the guidelines, visit the CDC's website.