Pandemic adds peril to holiday gatherings

Everyone has been advised against socializing to prevent spreading the COVID-19.

As cases continue to increase rapidly across the United States, the safest way to celebrate the holidays is to celebrate at home with the people you live with.

Gatherings with family and friends who do not live with you can increase the chances of getting or spreading COVID-19 or the flu.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has been extremely stressful and isolating for many people. Gatherings during the upcoming holidays are discouraged due to the opportunity of spreading the virus to family and friends. This holiday season, everyone should consider how your holiday plans should be modified to reduce the spread of COVID-19 to keep your friends, families, and communities healthy and safe.

According to many medical experts and researchers, having groups of people congregating in small indoor spaces for extended periods of time will increase everyone chance of being exposed to getting this potentially deadly disease.

Gatherings with more people pose more risk than gatherings with fewer people.

Only the organizer of the gathering will know their household limit space for their number of attendees.

The size of a holiday gathering should be determined based on the ability of attendees from different households to stay 6 feet (2 arm lengths) apart, wear masks, wash hands, and follow state, or local, health, safety laws, rules, and regulations.

The organizer must understand that the behaviors of attendees prior to the gathering such as individuals who did not consis-

Continued on Page 5

‘A Political View’

By Sherry Holliman SHERRY HOLLIMAN (cont.)

tently comply to social distancing staying at least 6 feet apart, mask wearing, handwashing, and other prevention behaviors pose more risk than those who consistently practiced these safety measures. Holiday celebrations will need to be different this year to prevent the spread of COVID19.

There are many ways to avoid activities that are high risk for spreading the virus:

• Having a small dinner with only people who live in your household.

• Virtually preparing traditional family recipes with family, friends, and neighbors especially those at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

• Shopping online rather than in person.

• Watching sports events, parades, and movies from home or having a small outdoor gathering with family and friends.

If you will be hosting or attending a gathering during the holiday season that brings people who live in different households together, follow CDC tips for hosting and attending gatherings. Guests should be aware of these considerations and ask their host what safety measures will be in place during the gathering. Hosts should check the COVID-19 infection rates in areas where attendees live on state, or local, health department websites.

Organizers should use this data to consider if it is safe to hold or attend the gathering on the proposed date.

The important questions for society now should be whether it makes sense to gather for the holidays, talking politics over desert will not happen for many this year. Every day, we see more people getting COVID-19 and being exposed.

How can the nation gain control of this pandemic if we don’t make any changes in our behavior and we continue to gather like we normally would?

Sherry Holliman is a concerned citizen of Crittenden County and has some views on a variety of topics that she wants to share with her neighbors. She serves on the Marion City Council.