Many of us would never have guessed that the COVID-19 pandemic would have lasted this long, leaving many of us disappointed that it has extended into the holiday season. During a time when we are meant to gather together, share, and celebrate, we must stay vigilant in preventing the spread of COVID-19.
As the USA continues to lead the number of COVID-19 cases, we are also facing an extreme rise in cases. Many of those cases are coming from small household gatherings. To prevent the loss of life to your family, friends, community, and fellow citizens, we ask that you take these following precautions seriously and add them to the existing guidelines established in your region.
1. Be aware of who you invite
Be wary of who you invite outside of your immediate household. If they have to travel to get to you, are exposed to large quantities of people regularly, or are irresponsible when it comes to social distancing, you may just want to leave them off the invite list this year. In addition, you want to keep the number of people invited to a minimum to stay within COVID guidelines.
2. Host outdoors
Having numerous people within the house means that you are all breathing the same air. If possible, move your event outdoors with tents and heat lamps to prevent cramped conditions.
3. Require social distancing procedures
Even at a small party, you should maintain social distancing procedures. Stay 6 feet away from others, wear masks, frequently wash hands, limit people touching food or communal areas, and keep pets isolated from guests. In addition, try to avoid loud behaviors that would cause people to project their voices (singing, loud music, etc) as it further spreads infected air particles.
4. Clean, clean, clean
Everyone should continually practice proper hygiene from frequently washing their hands, avoiding touching others, and sanitizing communal areas as often as possible.
5. Separate food
Sadly, this holiday it is important to avoid potluck-style dinners. If possible, have everyone bring their own food and drink. However, if you are making a communal dinner, you should:
- Wear a mask while preparing and serving food.
- Have only one person serve food to avoid shared serving utensils.
- Have each guest bring a dry, breathable bag to store their mask while they eat.
- Limit people handling food, preparing or serving, as well as access to kitchens.
- Have everyone thoroughly wash or sanitize their hands before and after the meals.
- Maintain a six-foot distance from all other guests.
- Have no-touch trash cans ready for guests.
- Immediately change and launder linen items afterward as well as wash the dishes in hot, soapy water or run the dishwasher.
For a full list of recommendations provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, click HERE! If you are concerned that you may have or have been exposed to COVID-19, please call us immediately for testing instructions.
