Understanding CDC Thanksgiving Guidelines

  • AUTHOR: midhat
  • POSTED ON: November 13, 2020

Participating in any of these activities could put you on an increased risk of contracting the deadly virus!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, but we know damn well that this year’s thanksgiving would be a lot different from previous years… 

Infectious disease experts already warned us of a potential surge in COVID-19 cases, as the temperature continues to drop and winters set in. America and the UK are already reporting an uptick in coronavirus cases. 

But it doesn’t mean you have to compromise on fun, CDC has released some mandatory precautionary guidelines for holiday gatherings that could ensure your safety and the safety of your loved ones.

According to CDC, some activities are still safe to do this Thanksgiving including having an intimate dinner with your live-in household members, hosting a virtual dinner, doing Black Friday shopping online, streaming Netflix, sports, parades, and all that while staying at the comforts of your couch.

In addition to CDC guidelines for returning to work, CDC guidelines for COVID-19, CDC guidelines for covid exposure, CDC guidelines for coronavirus, CDC quarantine guidelines, CDC mentioned moderately risky activities that include dining out with friends and family with a mask on, visiting pumpkin patches or any other place where people are maintaining mandatory social distancing, and attending indoor dinners with safety precautions enforced. 

We understand, this isn’t how you have expected to spend your holidays, but as the old saying goes ‘prevention is better than cure’, we strongly suggest you avoid these five activities that can put you and your family at the highest risk of contracting or spreading coronavirus.

Shopping physically

Physical Retail Needs Charm Offensive Ahead of COVID-19 Holiday Season – WWD

Source: WMB

With Thanksgiving season comes amazing deals! Just hours after thanking what we already have, people rushed to the malls to purchase goods at cheaper prices, yes we’re talking about Black Friday sales! However, such sale events draw huge crowds, which can be extremely dangerous as coronavirus continues to linger in the streets. 

The CDC strongly emphasizes to avoid in-person shopping in crowded stores and malls. Instead, it’s better to get hands-on the deals online from the comfort and safety of your homes. Almost all eCommerce sites are offering generous deals, which are hard to resist! Cyber Friday it is then, right?

Running and watching the race

Turkey trot: A one-month 5K training plan for beginners

Source: NBC

Turkey trots have been a decade-old tradition followed by many families across America. However this time, you might want to cancel your plans of having a quick run with your family around the neighborhood, as CDC recommends against it. For the sake of your and your family’s safety, it’s better to avoid participating or attending races in your neighborhoods as these activities involve a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. 

Attending Parades

America's Best, Worst, and Wackiest Thanksgiving Parades – Fodors Travel  Guide

Source: Getty Images

Considering the ongoing virus circumstances, many states have already advised against holding parades this Thanksgiving. Even if your neighborhood is planning to hold one, CDC recommends not to attend this time as it contains a higher risk of catching the virus. However, you can still watch and enjoy the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from your homes/terrace with a hot drink in one hand and a turkey in another.

Drinking and using Drugs

How the night before Thanksgiving became the 'biggest drinking day of the  year' | Star Tribune

Source: Star Tribune

A glass of wine with a delicious dinner will likely be enough for a perfect Thanksgiving evening, but chugging multiple glasses of alcohol and indulging in drugs can influence your judgement and increase the likelihood of you participating in risky activities, according to the CDC. This Thanksgiving, be more vigilant and responsible to make safe decisions that reduce the risk of catching or spreading coronavirus. 

Attending indoor gatherings

The Best Time to Eat Thanksgiving Dinner, According to Twitter | Mental  Floss

Source: GettyImages

Thanksgiving is synonymous with getting closer to your family and friends, joining on a single table and having a great time together to show how grateful you’re for each other. However, tradition will have to be a bit different this year. The CDC suggests against attending or hosting large indoor gatherings with people who are not from your intimate household.

The agency said, “indoor gatherings generally pose more risk than outdoor gatherings. Indoor gatherings with poor ventilation pose more risk than those with good ventilation, such as those with open windows or outdoors.”

It’s safe to connect with your distant relatives via virtual dinner and enjoy in-person intimate dinner only with your immediate family members. 

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a recent interview, “you may have to bite the bullet and sacrifice that social gathering unless you’re pretty certain that the people you’re dealing with are not infected. Either they’ve been very recently tested, or they have to live a lifestyle in which they don’t have any interaction with anybody except you and your family.”

To have the safest Thanksgiving, Americans need to adhere to CDC guidelines as strictly as possible, Dr. Fauci said.

Here are the low-risk activities you can still do this Thanksgiving, according to CDC:

Having Thanksgiving dinner with your immediate family members at home

The safest way to celebrate thanksgiving without being exposed to the virus is simply having an intimate dinner with members of your household.

Virtual dinner via Zoom

If you live alone, you can still enjoy a happy dinner with your relatives through Zoom or any other online medium. You may have to cook probably, but the perks are you no longer have to cope with your relatives’ constant chatter, right?

You can cook and deliver food without physical contact

Thanksgiving is all about sharing and being thankful that you have each others’ back. So why not cook holiday food for non-household members, especially those at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 (elders), and neighbors, and deliver it without physical contact.

“Understanding that everyone has this traditional, emotional, understandable, warm feeling about the holidays–and bring a group of people, friends and family together in their house, indoors that’s understandable, says Fauci, a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. “But we really have to be careful this time, and each individual family evaluates the risk/benefit of doing that.”

Also, don’t forget to visit CDC’s official website to get more information on CDC new guidelines for covid-19, CDC covid-19, CDC coronavirus self-checker, CDC covid death rate, CDC coronavirus update and CDC coronavirus map.

So, have you already started following SOPs and celebrating? Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!


Updated November 13, 2020
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