How To Celebrate Thanksgiving Safely In Washington

OLYMPIA, WA — As a third surge of coronavirus cases sweeps through Washington and across the United States, public health experts are urging extreme caution in the days and weeks ahead. With the holidays approaching, officials are worried that the temptation to participate in traditional gatherings and celebrations will grow.

Right now, Washington is recording well above 1,000 new coronavirus cases each day, including three daily records set over the last week. On Wednesday, health officials noted the first signs of increased hospitalizations, a worrying harbinger that COVID-19 is beginning to spread to groups most at risk of serious complications.

The warning signs have spurred the state's top health officials to plead with Washingtonians to act quickly and limit their social interactions leading up to, during and after the holidays, until transmission rates can be brought back down to acceptable levels.

Related: As Coronavirus Surges In WA, Health Officials Sound The Alarm

"Ideally, we should probably all stop socializing for the next several weeks," said Dr. Kathy Lofy, the state health officer. "If you need to socialize, please limit your social contacts to no more than five people outside of your household per week, and keep your social interactions as short as possible."

Thanksgiving presents a particular public health challenge since the holiday is so closely linked to travel and large gatherings among friends and family — neither of which public health experts recommend.

"If we see people continue with their usual Thanksgiving plans and gather in groups, we will undoubtedly have a very unmanageable situation coming out of that," said Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for King County, earlier in the month. "We really need people to think about this holiday, and think about how to make sure that, next year, everybody in the family is at the dinner table, and we don't lose people that we would have been able to celebrate with, by acting responsibly and doing everything we can this Thanksgiving."

Federal, state and local health jurisdictions have shared recommendations for safer Thanksgiving celebrations, as well as precautions to take for those who do choose to gather in some way.

Review a detailed list of recommendations for holiday celebrations and small gatherings on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Thanksgiving activity risk tiers (CDC)

Highest risk activities:

• Going shopping in crowded stores just before, on, or after Thanksgiving
• Participating or being a spectator at a crowded race
• Attending crowded parades
• Attending large indoor gatherings with people from outside of your household
• Using alcohol or drugs that may alter judgment and make it more difficult to practice COVID-19 safety measures.

Moderate risk activities

• Having a small outdoor dinner with family and friends who live in your community
  • Lower your risk by following CDC’s recommendations on hosting gatherings or cook-outs.
• Visiting pumpkin patches or orchards where people use hand sanitizer before touching pumpkins or picking apples, wearing masks is encouraged or enforced, and people are able to maintain social distancing
• Attending a small outdoor sports events with safety precautions in place

Lowest risk activities

• Having a small dinner with only people who live in your household
• Preparing traditional family recipes for family and neighbors, especially those at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, and delivering them in a way that doesn’t involve contact with others
• Having a virtual dinner and sharing recipes with friends and family
• Shopping online rather than in person on the day after Thanksgiving or the next Monday
• Watching sports events, parades, and movies from home

Safer gatherings checklist (Washington State Department of Health)

• Have “the conversation.” Get really clear with friends and family about how you will make safety a priority when spending time together. Set some ground rules that will help everyone know what to expect. View a sample conversation guide.

• Review your guest list. Are there people who may be in a high risk category or children? Think about special needs and precautions as part of your planning.

• Check your space and gather outside if possible. Is there room to spread out, at least 6 feet from people you don’t live with? If no, is there an outdoor space, like a park where you could meet? If outside, will there be restrooms people can use? If inside, be sure your space is well ventilated by opening windows. Remind guests to wear warm clothes!

• Right-size your guest list. Limit the number of guests based on the number allowed in your county per the Safe Start Plan, and the outdoor or indoor space available that allows you to be 6-feet apart.

• Do a health check. Ask if anyone has had symptoms such as cough, fever or shortness of breath, in the last 2 weeks. Ask guests to check their temperature before arriving. Anyone with a fever—or who has had other symptoms, or knows they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 within the last two weeks—should stay home.

• Consider the children. Kids have trouble playing 6 feet apart, so wearing masks and frequent hand-washing may be the safest plan of action. Remember: kids under 2 should never wear masks!

• Make a food plan. Talk through details like how food will be shared. The safest option is to have everyone bring their own food. If sharing, separate food ahead of time into individual servings and forgo communal bowls and utensils. Find more tips about food prep in the FAQs.

• Clean, clean, clean. If you’re hosting, frequently disinfect surfaces that people may encounter during their visit.

• Consider pre-event quarantine. Can all participants (including yourself) self-quarantine for 14 days before the gathering?

• Get tested. If you have been around many other people or do not regularly wear a mask, get a COVID-19 test to make sure you're negative. Take into account that it can take a few days to receive test results. If you test negative, you still need to wear a mask and keep your distance from others when you socialize.

Steps to take if you plan to host (Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department)

• Make safety a priority.
  • Ask guests to avoid contact with people they don’t live with for 14 days before you gather.
  • Set ground rules so guests know what to expect.
• Open windows and doors for fresh air or host outdoor activities if possible.
• Keep gatherings to 5 or fewer people you don’t live with. You must be able to stay 6 feet away from people you don’t live with.
• Make a food plan. Encourage guests to bring food and drinks for themselves instead of potluck-style gatherings. If sharing, separate food ahead of time into individual portions.
• Clean and disinfect any surfaces your guests may encounter.

Alternative takes on old traditions (DOH)

• Giving thanks: In a year filled with challenges, it can feel good to pause and consider the things for which we are grateful, whether that be a person, pet, place or thing. Highlight these bright spots by writing them down or sending notes, texts or emails to people in your life to express why you are grateful for them.
• On-screen get togethers: Sure, it won’t be quite the same, but scheduling a few virtual holiday gatherings can take the sting out of being separated. Getting together online to cook, open gifts, decorate desserts, do a craft project, listen to a playlist, or read stories can create a bit of the togetherness we crave. Consider time zones when scheduling, and make sure that any people who are not tech-savvy get help beforehand so they can be included.
• Secret gift exchange: Assign each family or friend a name, and ask them mail or do a no-contact delivery of a small gift they make or buy to their assigned person. Open gifts on a group video chat and try to guess who gave what to whom.
• Play dress-up: If you have a willing crowd, create a theme for your virtual party. Themed masks, silly hats or ugly sweaters can give everyone something to laugh and talk about.
• Remote potluck: Rather than getting together, you can assign dishes to friends and family and deliver them to one another’s homes. Or deliver just the ingredients for a dish or meal. Then, log in to your favorite video chat app to cook or dig in.
• Learn a recipe together: Haven’t you always thought Nonna deserves a cooking show? Pick a favorite family recipe, share an ingredient list ahead of time with friends or family, and then get together virtually to try cooking or baking. Good times are guaranteed, whether you end up with delicious dumplings or poorly decorated cookies.
• Game night: If you thrive on competition, make your virtual gatherings about more than just conversation. Trivia, charades, and even board games, can all work great online. Or try out a virtual bake-off, talent show or a scavenger hunt where teams race to find common and not-so-common items around their house. This is also a fun one to set up for kids so they can connect virtually with friends.

Safety considerations by type of travel (CDC)

Air travel

Air travel requires spending time in security lines and airport terminals, which can bring you in close contact with other people and frequently touched surfaces. Most viruses and other germs do not spread easily on flights because of how air circulates and is filtered on airplanes. However, social distancing is difficult on crowded flights, and sitting within 6 feet of others, sometimes for hours, may increase your risk of getting COVID-19.

Also consider how you get to and from the airport, as public transportation and ridesharing can increase your chances of being exposed to the virus.

Bus or train travel

Traveling on buses and trains for any length of time can involve sitting or standing within 6 feet of others, which may increase your risk of getting COVID-19. If you choose to travel by bus or train, learn what you can do to protect yourself on public transportation.

Car travel

Making stops along the way for gas, food, or bathroom breaks can put you and your traveling companions in close contact with other people and frequently-touched surfaces.

RV travel

You may have to stop less often for food or bathroom breaks, but RV travel usually means staying at RV parks overnight and getting gas and supplies at other public places. These stops may put you and those with you in the RV in close contact with others.

Learn more about how to protect yourself from COVID-19 on different types of transportation

Holiday safety links:

• Safer gatherings (DOH)
• Celebrations during COVID-19 (DOH)
• Travel during COVID-19 (CDC)
• Celebrating Thanksgiving (CDC)
• Holiday celebrations and small gatherings (CDC)