County Offers Guidance On Thanksgiving Gatherings, Travel

BETHESDA, MD — With cases quickly surging across the country, health officials in Montgomery County are urging residents to forgo their traditional Thanksgiving plans this year.

In guidance published Friday, the county's health department said that the safest options for the holiday is celebrating with people virtually or with those who live in your household.

In-person gatherings — even small ones — are risky and can lead to an explosion of secondary infections, according to officials. Traveling also compounds the risk of transmission, and should therefore be avoided.

The guidance is sure to elicit groans from community members. But County Executive Marc Elrich says everyone needs to stay on track and remain vigilant at a time when cases are on the rise again.

"We understand that everyone is growing weary of the pandemic and the associated restrictions, but we have worked hard as a community to address COVID-19 and we need to continue to be vigilant in order to keep our family, friends and others safe," Elrich said.

If you plan on celebrating Thanksgiving with people outside your household, health officials recommend you consider the following guidance:

Before You Go

• Consider the level of COVID-19 in the community where you will be celebrating
• Consider how many people are attending a gathering and where attendees are coming from
  • The smaller the gathering the better
  • Ask yourself if guests are practicing social distancing and mask wearing every day
• Do not attend or host a gathering if you or anyone in your household:
  
  • Has COVID-19 symptoms
  • Is waiting for COVID-19 test results
  • May have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days
  • Is at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19
• Get your flu vaccine

Preventative Measures

• If you're hosting a gathering, consider asking attendees to get tested beforehand
• Indoor gatherings are typically riskier than outdoor gatherings
  • Indoor gatherings with poor ventilation pose more risk than those with good ventilation (i.e., open doors and windows)
  • The longer the gathering, the riskier it is
• The more preventive measures you implement at gatherings (i.e., mask wearing, social distancing, and hand washing) the better
  • Ensure that guests understand and agree to those expectations

Click here to learn more.