As Thanksgiving is a week away, and Christmas is around the corner, Americans have to make the difficult decision of how to spend the holiday, while also following COVID-19 guidelines.
How can you talk to your loved ones about your Thanksgiving plans to be safe, while also avoiding hurting their feelings? New York Governor Andrew Cuomo put it very simply: “You don’t want to be the turkey on Thanksgiving,” Cuomo said. “You know what love is on Thanksgiving? I love you so much and I’m so thankful for you that I’m not going to see you. That’s how you show me you love me. I’m not going to see you – that’s how much I love you.”
New York state also implemented a restriction to not allow more than 10 people in a private household. The governor is discouraging any large family gatherings for Thanksgiving this year.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy also implemented the 10 person limit in households for the Thanksgiving holiday. Cases have risen across the state over the last month, but there have especially been increases over the last week. On Wednesday, there were 4,063 Coronavirus cases in New Jersey. The seven-day average for new positive cases in New Jersey is now 3,744. This is the highest since the outbreak began in the spring.
Both Governor Murphy and Governor Cuomo predict that Coronavirus cases could spike after the Thanksgiving holiday in both states. Cuomo described the latest spread of the Coronavirus in New York as spread in households from gatherings. Cuomo stated on Wednesday, “This living room spread is the new problem and it will go up after Thanksgiving and you will see orange zones and increased positivity after Thanksgiving. I’ll wager you on it today and you’re going to see more dramatic action.”
Experts say to avoid gathering with anyone who does not live in your household for Thanksgiving. If you have to travel for Thanksgiving, it is important to quarantine for two weeks prior to when you will be seeing your family members.
Aside from quarantining, testing negative for the Coronavirus before arriving at your destination is also important. But, experts say, a negative COVID-19 test is only a “snapshot in time.” If one tests negative before leaving their home, they can become exposed to the Coronavirus on the way to the destination. Travel at off peak times and travel alone if possible to limit the exposure to the virus while traveling to the destination.
If you are hosting a Thanksgiving gathering, keep the group of people small, try to have the dinner outside if weather permits, have hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies, and think about the risks of having the gathering. Is there anyone in the gathering who may be high risk? Is there anyone attending the gathering who may have been exposed to the Coronavirus without knowing? Keep the risks in mind and see if it is actually safe to have these people in your home.
Overall, it will be difficult this year to keep the family gatherings small, or not have them at all. Talking to loved ones about the risks of a large Thanksgiving dinner, will be difficult, but are necessary in order to protect families and keep infection rates of the Coronavirus from continuing to rise. If Americans keep their gatherings small this year, by next year, hopefully families will be able to gather again to celebrate the holidays.
Amelia Morel 