As we get into the holiday season this year, everyone would love to see everyone come together and celebrate as usual. However, this season has risks involved and to avoid further COVID-19 spread there are precautions everyone can take to stay safe. These include masking up, maintaining a social distance of 6 feet, ensuring a total of 10 people or less at any gathering and when possible connecting with people virtually. 

For those concerned about being away for the holidays or keeping their family safe, Zoom will be removing the 40-minute time limit the service has for free accounts on Thanksgiving Day from Nov. 26 at midnight to 6 a.m. on the 27. This is a great opportunity to celebrate with family in true 2020 fashion: Online, while staying safe.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention released safety guidelines and considerations that should be looked over before one decides to head out for time with their family. For example, having a well-ventilated home or celebrating outside can help reduce risk of spread. Making sure family members who may have traveled to celebrate have quarantined before celebrating or getting tested can also eliminate the COVID-19 risks this holiday. For a full list of considerations, visit the CDC’s Holiday Celebrations and Small Gatherings article.

We understand that this holiday will be vastly different and slightly disheartening due to the paranoid atmosphere we reside in. The Connection would still like to strongly encourage our students, faculty and community readers to do what’s best for themselves, their loved ones and ultimately, our entire state. Pandemic trends can be traced back to 1920, when the Spanish flu became deadly and put our ancestors in similar conditions with masks, quarantine and the potential cancellation of large gatherings. It’s important to be grateful for the chance to be together during the holiday and to honor that spirit by following the necessary guidelines to keep everyone safe. Most of all, we want to avoid a spike in cases following the holiday so that we can all meet again next year. 

Until next time, the Connection wishes you all a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

The Connection Editorial Team

Photo Courtesy of Element5 Digital