As families begin to plan for the holidays, please consider the following safety precautions to protect your family and prevent the spread of COVID-19 this holiday season.
Events and Gatherings
The risk of COVID-19 spreading at events and gatherings increases as follows:
- Lowest risk: Virtual-only activities, events, and gatherings.
- More risk: Smaller outdoor and in-person gatherings in which individuals from different households remain spaced at least 6 feet apart, wear masks, do not share objects,
and come from the same local area (e.g., community, town, city, or county). - Higher risk: Medium-sized in-person gatherings that are adapted to allow individuals to remain spaced at least 6 feet apart and with attendees coming from outside the local area.
- Highest risk: Large in-person gatherings where it is difficult for individuals to remain spaced at least 6 feet apart and attendees travel from outside the local area.
Tips
- Limit attendance and allow for social distancing.
- Advise attendees to stay home if they have tested positive, are showing symptoms, or have been in close contact with a person who has symptoms of COVID-19 within the past 14 days.
- Strongly encourage attendees to wear masks.
- Serve individually plated meals or encourage guests to bring their own food or drinks.
- Host the event outdoors or in a large, well-ventilated room (open windows to allow for more air circulation).
- Make hand hygiene a priority.
- Discourage hugs, handshakes, fist bumps, and high-fives.
- Avoid touching your face, eyes, and nose.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces often.
Travel
Travel increases the chance of getting and spreading COVID-19.
- The higher the level of community transmission in the area that the gathering is being held, the higher the risk of COVID-19 spreading during a gathering.
- The size of an event or gathering should be determined based on state and local safety laws and regulations.