With cases rising, it's normal that some people's Thanksgiving celebrations might be much smaller or cancelled. If you are still hosting a Thanksgiving, we're sharing some tips, tricks, and the CDC's Thanksgiving Guidelines to help you!
Always check the COVID-19 infection rates in areas where attendees live on state, local, territorial, or tribal health department websites.
Plan ahead and ask guests to avoid contact with people outside of their households for 14 days before the gathering.
Considerations for Hosting:
Limit the number of attendees as much as possible to allow people from different households
Remain at least 6 feet apart at all times.
Avoid direct contact - including handshakes and hugs, with others not from their household.
Host outdoor rather than indoor gatherings as much as possible. Even outdoors, require guests to wear masks when not eating or drinking. If outdoor temperature or weather forces you to put up the tent sidewalls, consider leaving one or more sides open or rolling up the bottom 12” of each sidewall to enhance ventilation while still providing a wind break. Note: Enclosed 4-wall tents will have less air circulation than open air tents.
Avoid holding gatherings in crowded, poorly ventilated spaces with persons who are not in your household. Increase ventilation by opening windows and doors to the extent that is safe and feasible based on the weather, or by placing central air and heating on continuous circulation.
Avoid singing or shouting, especially indoors.
Provide and/or encourage attendees to bring supplies - masks, hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol), and tissues.
Stock bathrooms with enough hand soap and single use towels.
Food & Drinks:
Encourage guests to bring food and drinks for themselves and for members of their own household only
Avoid potluck-style gatherings.
Wear a mask while preparing food for or serving food to others who don’t live in your household.
Serving Food:
Have one person who is wearing a mask serve all the food so that multiple people are not handling the serving utensils.
Use single-use options or identify one person to serve sharable items, like salad dressings, food containers, plates and utensils, and condiments.
Make sure everyone washes their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds frequently or have hand sanitizer.
Avoid crowded buffet and drink stations.
Limit crowding in areas where food is served by having one person dispense food individually to plates.
Offer no-touch trash cans for guests to easily throw away food items.
Post - Event:
Wash dishes in the dishwasher or with hot soapy water immediately following the gathering.
Have one person in charge of the dishes or cleaning, as to limit the amount of different hands on surfaces.
Change and launder linen items (e.g., seating covers, tablecloths, linen napkins) immediately following the event.
Do not reuse any masks worn at the gathering. If they are washable, wash them. If they are disposable, dispose them.
From our family to yours, we wish you a healthy and safe Thanksgiving!
Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored.