Will Coronavirus Change Your Christmas Plans?: IL Patch Survey

ILLINOIS — Not long after the United States passed a grim milestone — more than 300,000 dead from coronavirus — Illinois hit a somber number of its own, marking more than 15,000 dead due to the pandemic. State health officials have urged residents to change the way they celebrate by limiting holiday gatherings to their own households and gathering virtually with loved ones to help stop the spread of the virus, even as vaccine distribution gets under way across the state.

"Just as was true for Easter and Eid and the 4th of July, this virus doesn't make exceptions for traditions," Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in October. "I'll be blunt: This virus isn't taking a holiday. It wants to find new hosts."

State health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have urged people to change their holiday traditions this year, holding small celebrations at home and preparing holiday recipes for family and neighbors but delivering them in a way that doesn't involve contact. Residents were even urged to do their holiday shopping online rather than in person.

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Those determined to travel for the holidays were urged to do their best to maintain social distancing, wear a mask and frequently wash their hands. Those welcoming family from out of town were asked to limit their exposure to others for two weeks before the gathering and to get tested for coronavirus prior to gathering, and those who are sick were urged to stay home.

Despite holiday travel warnings, airports across the U.S. are reporting increased holiday travel, according to The Associated Press. More than a million travelers passed through the security checkpoints at U.S. airports on Friday and again on Saturday, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

So we want to know what our readers in Illinois are planning for Christmas. Does the pandemic affect how you will celebrate? What kind of measures are you planning to keep family and friends safe?

The survey is anonymous and will be only used to show collective results. It will be open through Wednesday, Dec. 23. A results story will be shared after the survey closes. The survey is not meant to be a scientific poll, with random sampling and margins of error, but is meant only to gauge the sentiments of our readers in an informal way.

If you cannot see the survey below, click here.