Boulder County Public Health Guidance For Holiday Gatherings

BOULDER COUNTY, CO — Boulder County Public Health has issued guidance for holiday gatherings as flu and COVID-19 cases surge in the county.

Those ages 18 and older should get a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine if they are at least six months out from receiving their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna, or at least two months since receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, public health officials said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now allows eligible recipients to receive a different vaccine than their original series.

“Getting vaccinated, including a booster and a flu shot, is the best way to keep others safe, limit the spread of COVID-19 and influenza, reduce serious illnesses and hospitalization and ease the burden on our already stressed hospitals,” said Camille Rodriguez, Boulder County Public Health executive director, in a statement.

If you're planning to host a gathering, there are some strategies for keeping your guests safe. Health officials urge hosts to have a conversation with all guests about their vaccination status, and how to best protect those who are high-risk, including older adults, immunocompromised people and those who are unvaccinated.

“When planning your celebrations with high-risk individuals, consider a smaller, shorter event and make sure everyone is symptom-free," said Chris Campbell, emergency management coordinator with Boulder County Public Health.

"Also, talk to your guests about getting tested before they attend and agreeing to wear a mask while they are inside your home. You can also reduce risk by increasing ventilation (such as opening windows) and running a HEPA air filter.”

Anyone who has flu or COVID-19-like symptoms should stay home, get tested and quarantine if necessary, Campbell said.

“An effective and easy way to keep everyone safe is diligently wearing a well-fitting mask over your nose and mouth—wearing a mask while indoors is required under our current Public Health Order in public indoor spaces," Campbell said.

"We also encourage practicing physical distancing while shopping and celebrating and wearing a mask outdoors when you cannot maintain distance, as described in our Public Health Advisory. Whenever you can, make safer arrangements like planning shopping so everything gets done in one trip, or, better yet, use delivery or curbside pickup.”

Quick tips for staying safe over the holidays:

• Get vaccinated against COVID-19, the flu and get your booster.
• Move gatherings outdoors whenever possible and continue to mask when you are in a crowd, even outdoors.
• Ensure everyone, including children, is wearing a mask while indoors (masks are required for everyone over age 2 in all indoor public spaces, including schools).
• Improve ventilation in your home and increase air filtration.
• Reduce gathering size and, if possible, split a large gathering into smaller gatherings.
• Keep track of those who are gathering with you — they can assist in quicker contact tracing in the event of an exposure and can drastically help reduce spread of COVID-19.
• If you are traveling, wear a mask and follow CDC guidance for safe travel.
• Get tested both before and after any indoor gatherings and after travel—you can order free BINAX tests from the state or use a local free testing site.

>> A complete list of testing locations in Boulder County is available here, and a list of vaccine providers in the county can be found here.