Tags: cdc | thanksgiving | holidays | family | travel

Keep Thanksgiving Gatherings Small, Says CDC

family celebrating thanksgiving with a woman bringing out the turkey
(Dreamstime)

By    |   Friday, 25 September 2020 02:32 PM EDT

With the holidays quickly approaching, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidance on Thanksgiving gatherings during the pandemic. The CDC suggests that families and friends keep celebrations small this season to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

According to Fox News, the CDC rated different levels of risk for holiday activities on its website.

“Thanksgiving is a time when many families travel long distances to celebrate together. Travel increases the chance of getting and spreading the virus that causes COVID-19,” said the CDC. “Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others. If you must travel, be informed of the risks involved.”

Besides having a small family dinner, the agency says Americans can celebrate giving thanks by preparing and delivering cooked meals to family, friends, and neighbors who are at high-risk for the disease, making sure there is no contact with others.

Other low-risk Thanksgiving activities include virtual dinner celebrations and watching sporting events and movies at home. Moderate-risk activities include going to outdoor dinners with friends, while the riskiest ways to spend the Thanksgiving holiday are shopping in crowded stores on Black Friday, attending crowded parades, and going to large gatherings with strangers.

Experts say that if you do plan to travel to visit relatives, try to control your environment.

“It’s very hard to speculate what’s going to happen in November,” said Dr. William Tseng, an internal medical physician at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego, California, adding that the best thing you can do is minimize your risk by traveling in your own car and avoiding so-called “hot spots,” where the numbers of coronavirus cases are high, he told CBS-8, a local CBS affiliate.

Tseng cautions, however, that while it’s nice to visit family and relatives on Thanksgiving Day, the last thing you want to do is transmit the disease to your parents or other relatives who may be at increased risk of complications from the disease. Tseng told CBS-8 that he uses Zoom to keep in touch with his own parents.

Lynn C. Allison

Lynn C. Allison, a Newsmax health reporter, is an award-winning medical journalist and author of more than 30 self-help books.

© 2025 NewsmaxHealth. All rights reserved.


Headline
With the holidays quickly approaching, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidance on Thanksgiving gatherings during the pandemic. The CDC suggests that families and friends keep celebrations small this season to minimize the spread of...
cdc, thanksgiving, holidays, family, travel
340
2020-32-25
Friday, 25 September 2020 02:32 PM
Newsmax Media, Inc.

Sign up for Newsmax’s Daily Newsletter

Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.

(Optional for Local News)
Privacy: We never share your email address.
Join the Newsmax Community
Read and Post Comments
Please review Community Guidelines before posting a comment.
 
Find Your Condition
Get Newsmax Text Alerts
TOP

The information presented on this website is not intended as specific medical advice and is not a substitute for professional medical treatment or diagnosis. Read Newsmax Terms and Conditions of Service.

Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.

NEWSMAX.COM
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
NEWSMAX.COM
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved