With Thanksgiving just over one month away, health experts are worried that as millions of people travel and gather to celebrate the holiday, the number of coronavirus cases will spike. To help mitigate the risk, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its guidelines for hosting a safe Thanksgiving celebration.
To reduce the risk of spreading the virus, the CDC recommends keeping your in-person celebrations limited to just your immediate family. If you have neighbors or family members who are at a higher risk of COVID-19, the agency suggested cooking family recipes and "delivering them in a way that doesn't involve contact with others."
You could also share recipes with family and friends and then hold a virtual Thanksgiving dinner. The CDC also suggested shopping online instead of going out to busy and crowded stores, which the CDC considers a high-risk activity.
If you want to host a slightly larger gathering, the CDC says the best way is to hold your celebration outdoors, though that still poses a moderate risk for spreading the coronavirus.
The CDC advises against attending large indoor gatherings and outdoor activities involving large crowds of people such as parades and sporting events.
The nation's leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said that every family must weigh the risks and make a decision that works best for them.
"We really have to be careful this time that each individual family evaluates the risk-benefit," he said.
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