PANDEMIC PLANS
PANDEMIC PLANS
Embedded Files
Making plans to visit your family is now more difficult than ever. Here's how to keep yourself and your family safe.
Families will always come together to celebrate.
But with the continued presence of COVID-19, traveling become much more difficult than they were in years past. Staying safe has become the major point of concern for most families. It is important to start planning out and coordinating your COVID-safe plans.
To help with you with this, here are some pieces of advice and words of warning for you to make sure you have the safest holidays possible.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a difficult holiday to maneuver when it comes to COVID-19, so being aware of what things are strongly discouraged and what fun things you could do in their place will allow you to still have a memorable holiday, even if you and your family are miles apart.
Right away, the biggest thing to avoid is large gatherings. When families get together for Thanksgiving, it can sometimes look like a reunion. Having that many people in a single space makes it almost impossible to social distance, which means mask removal is a bad idea.
Since having a large-scale gathering in-person isn’t necessarily the most “COVID-safe” option, one low risk activity that is recommended by the CDC is a virtual gathering. While meeting online and over Zoom does not sound like the ideal way to spend Thanksgiving with your family, it is much better than putting them or yourself in danger.
Having a virtual Thanksgiving gives you the opportunity to see family without having to leave the safety of your own home. In addition to this, having your meal virtually also gives you the opportunity to see more relatives than you normally would. Doing a virtual Thanksgiving dinner means that your large extended family can all get in on the fun and make this holiday feel much less isolating.
If you want to make the holiday feel extra special, the CDC also recommends sharing recipes with your friends and family so you can all eat the same food even while being far away. The best part is, it’s easy; all you have to do is take a picture/screenshot, hit send, and you're done!
Another difficult holiday that goes along with Thanksgiving is Black Friday. The CDC classifies going to crowded stores around or on Thanksgiving a “high risk activity,” which means that this infamous day of shopping malls may be even less safe this year than usual.
Black Friday typically means large crowds and little space to navigate the walkways, which, in combination with some retailers not mandating masks, means that there is an even greater risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19.
The biggest recommendation would be to stay home and order your must-have items online. In this age of technology, there aren't many stores without a website, which means that you can place an online order for all the items you would have purchased in-person. Not having to leave your house and still getting great deals sounds like a win-win all around!
Christmas
Amid a pandemic, no holiday will be the same- including Christmas.
Besides summer vacation, winter break is the longest period that students have off of school, which makes it ideal for travelling. But with travelling comes risks, and this year, it'd be best to skip the trip.
Travelling around the holidays can lead to packed airports and full planes, which means you will suddenly come in contact with more people than you would have otherwise. While an article from USA Today predicts that holiday travel will be decreased this year, that does not mean that there is still not a risk associated with it.
Staying home means that you do not have to worry as much about catching the virus or taking it home and spreading it to others. Cancelling this year’s trip will make it much safer for you, your immediate family, and your extended family.
The unfortunate part about staying home for Christmas is missing out on that all-important gift exchange with your relatives. For those that are worried about not getting this opportunity, technology can once again save the day.
Opening gifts with your family is the highlight of Christmas, so instead of doing it in-person, you can now do it over a video call. To make this even easier, gifts can also be ordered online and sent directly to the house of the family member you are trying to surprise. By having it shipped directly to their house, there’s no need to wrap the gift either; the Amazon box it came in will take care of that.
But while staying at home for the holidays is overall the safest option, it is also a difficult one. Going away for the holidays can be a family tradition, so it is understandable why many would want to continue that tradition this year.
That being said, you can still travel and do it safely. When making your vacation plans, you should think about where you are going and the case numbers in that area. Going to a place that has a large amount of COVID cases can come with a huge risk, so knowing in advance whether your destination checks that box is important. The CDC recommends checking with the local health department for case numbers of the area you are travelling to and the location from which you came to determine whether to attend or host a gathering.
Another recommendation is to emphasize wearing a mask at your celebrations and to make sure you can socially distance while eating. If you have family members that have travelled a long distance to get there, you will have no idea how many people they came into contact with. These precautions will make it much safer for you to get together with the ones you love.
Christmas and Thanksgiving may look a little different this year, but that doesn’t mean that the festivities can’t still go on. Being mindful of ways that you can stay safe and stop the spread are crucial to a good holiday celebration. Do your research and keep some of these tips in mind, and you can keep your festivities merry and bright. Stay safe out there!
This is Kaitlyn’s second year on the Edge staff and sixth year at Edgewood. She enjoys creating art, completing community service, and spending tons of time with animals. As a staff writer, she hopes to write diverse stories and prepare for her future career.
Page updated
Report abuse