Staying Safe this Holiday Season
A year has made a huge difference in the pandemic. The availability of safe and effective vaccines has decreased the instance of COVID-19 in our community, and many are looking forward to a return to more normal celebrations. Spreading illness should never be a part of your celebration, so read these simple tips for keeping those you love healthy and safe when you gather:
Gather Outdoors
If weather permits, moving your celebration outdoors is a much safer choice. While transmitting COVID-19 to others in an outdoor space is rare, it is still possible. Ensuring you have adequate space to spread out will help lower the risk for all of your guests.
Smaller is Safer
A small group gathering will lower your risk of transmitting COVID-19 to your family and loved ones. For some, minimizing a guest list is a challenging task, but by doing so, you are helping ensure those in attendance have a higher chance of staying healthy.
Increase Ventilation
Throughout the pandemic, the idea of home has felt remarkably safe. But did you know homes are a main source of COVID-19 transmission? The time spent indoors with others can dramatically increase your risk, so improving ventilation and air circulation is key. Open windows, run fans and exhaust fans. Increasing air flow won’t fully negate the risk, but can help.
Ask Your Guests to be Considerate
If you’re planning to invite non-household members to your celebration, ask them to take precautions ahead of the gathering. Getting tested for COVID-19 is often free and there are new at-home kits available on the market. The more care and consideration your guests take, the safer you and your loved ones will be. Find a testing site near you here: https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/about-covid-19/testing/find-my-testing-place
Get Vaccinated
The best way to stay safe this holiday season is to get vaccinated. Currently, anyone aged 5 years and up is eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective, providing significant protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death. Together, we can all look forward to brighter days and holidays ahead.
Learn more about vaccination here.