Thanksgiving 2020 In PA: CDC Weighs In On Traveling, Gatherings

PENNSYLVANIA — As families across Pennsylvania begin planning for the holidays, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shared guidelines on how to safely enjoy what is typically the kick-off of the season: Thanksgiving.

The agency is recommending smaller dinners, virtual gatherings and lower-to-moderate-risk activities. Holiday travel isn’t advised because it poses a higher risk of spreading the virus that causes COVID-19, experts say.

But if you do travel, the CDC wants people to be aware of the risks. High-risk activities include:

• Going shopping in crowded stores just before, on or after Thanksgiving.
• Participating in or being a spectator at a crowded race.
• Attending crowded parades.
• Using alcohol or drugs, which can cloud judgment and increase risky behaviors.
• Attending large indoor gatherings with people from outside of your household.

Read more CDC recommendations for how to have a safe Thanksgiving.

Moderate-risk activities

• Having a small outdoor dinner with family and friends who live in your community. You can 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.

Lower-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

In the United States, more than 7 million people have been infected and more than 204,000 people have died from COVID-19 as of Monday.