CDC Recommends Virtual Thanksgiving, Avoid Pumpkin Patches and Orchards
The CDC came out with some new guidelines for the fall holidays which include Halloween and Thanksgiving. The CDC is recommending that for Thanksgiving this year people protect themselves and others by staying home and not traveling. It's also recommended to stay away from pumpkin patches and orchards that don't have hand sanitizer readily available for guests to use when " touching pumpkins or picking apples."
Rather than the traditional large family get-together for Thanksgiving, the CDC is recommending that people participate in these low-risk activities instead.
- 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
Under the moderate-risk activities for Thanksgiving, the CDC listed these items, one of which stood out to me because I thought going to a pumpkin patch or orchard was ok to do as it's outside and there is plenty of space. I guess I was a little off on that.
- 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
I'm not sure how I feel about their guidelines. My wife and I visit and see our parents in the Twin Cities on a regular basis and go and visit our siblings and their kids regularly too. Given these guidelines from the CDC, it would seem like our Thanksgiving would only consist of our exchange student, Pau, and my wife.
I guess I'll wait until closer to Turkey Day before making plans, as there is still almost two months until Thanksgiving and plenty can change between now and then. Personally, I think we will still invite our family to our house for a meal, and if they choose not to come that's cool with us, we just want people to be comfortable.
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