The festive season will be different this year. Typically, every year’s last months are filled with parties and gatherings with family and friends. Celebrating the holidays with loved ones is one of our most revered traditions. However, due to the current COVID-19 situation, you may not be able to do these things this year. Although the way we celebrate holidays this year may have to be different, it is still possible to safely spend quality time with friends and family. In this article, we are going to look at some of the tips and ideas to stay safe during get-togethers. Traveling and meeting people increases the likelihood of contracting and spreading COVID-19. So staying home is the best way to keep yourself and others out of harm’s way.
As for the people who should not attend or host holiday celebrations in person, especially with the people who are not from the household includes:
- People who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and do not meet the criteria for being safe in others’ company.
- People who have symptoms of COVID-19 or are awaiting test results for COVID-19.
- People who may have been in contact with someone who has been infected with COVID-19 in the past 14 days.
- People who are or live or work with someone who is at high risk of developing severe illness with COVID-19.
The new guidelines also recommend that if there is a possibility of transmission to the community, consider hosting a virtual party rather than an in-person gathering. If a face-to-face get-together is to be held, it should preferably be held outdoors. If you are holding the party indoors, avoid having the room full, poorly ventilated, or completely enclosed, limiting it to a maximum of ten people.
Hosting a Holiday Party
If you are hosting a party, here are some prevention tips:
- If possible, hold your event outdoors instead of indoors.
- Hand out PPE goody bags, like NewRain’s Holiday Pack that contains Hand Sanitizers, Kids Masks, Angela Masks, Alcohol Wipes, and Miki 3D Masks.
- If you are unable to hold the event outdoors or choose to have it indoors, try to avoid crowds, poor ventilation, and or fully enclosed spaces.
- Depending on the weather, keep doors and windows open to provide as much ventilation as possible.
- Limit the number of people attending your event.
- Keep your guests up to date on all COVID-19 safety guidelines and how to prevent the transmission of the virus.
- Especially in the case of individuals outside your household, ask them to limit their contact with other people for14 days before the gathering.
During the Event
Follow these tips to reduce the risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19 at your holiday celebration.
- Stay at least six feet away from people outside your household.
- Be especially careful in spots where this distance is difficult to maintain, such as bathrooms and dining rooms.
- Avoid using the bathroom during busy times, such as after a public event.
- If you plan to go out, try to avoid crowded restaurants and other congested areas.
- Minimize hand gestures that encourage intimate contact. For example, do not shake hands, bump elbows, or give a hug. Instead, greet them verbally.
- Put on a mask whenever you spend time with people who do not live with you to reduce the risk of contracting the virus.
- Avoid singing, shouting, or chanting, especially if you do not have on a mask and are less than feet away from other people.
- Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, especially in public places, after blowing off, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer, like the NewRain Hand Sanitizer Gel, with 75% Alcohol.
After the Event
- Take additional precautions (other than those listed above) to protect others within 14 days of the end of the event. Stay home as much as possible.
- Avoid contact with people who are at high risk for COVID-19 disease.
- Consider being tested for COVID-19 if you develop symptoms compatible with COVID-19, such as fever, cough, difficulty in breathing.
- If you test positive for the virus, immediately contact the organizers of the event or gathering that you attended. You need to let other attendees know that they may have been exposed to COVID-19.
- Contact your health care provider and follow the CDC’s recommended procedures for the next steps if you get sick and follow the relevant public health and safety recommendations.
- If you are waiting for the test results, stay home until you get the results and follow the CDC’s instructions to stop the virus’s spread.
- If you are diagnosed with COVID -19, your health care provider will contact you and ask you who you have been spending time with and where you have been to check your health and identify or help those who may be infected (your contacts). Your information will be treated as confidential.
- If you are told that you were in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, do not leave your home for 14 days after your last contact.
- Be aware of the symptoms of the virus and if you are unsure, ask about the COVID-19 testing.
If you follow these guidelines, you will be able to organize and attend gatherings and parties this holiday season during COVID-19. Happy Holidays!
