The holiday season is just around the corner, although this year it could definitely strike some controversy. Thanksgiving and Christmas are some of the most popular holidays in America for families to come together and celebrate in large groups. The government ordered social distancing policies however, warn against such gatherings. As a community we must decide how we can continue celebrating the holiday season with family and friends while taking the necessary steps to ensure we are kept happy and healthy. 

An announcement made by state officials during the week of Sep.19 states that Ventura County could enter the red tier phase of reopening as soon as Oct. 6. This means restaurants, churches, and schools could soon re-open to the public with some restrictions. The COVID-19 case average reducing to seven cases per 100,000 residents in Ventura county would allow new ordinances to be put into place. These new guidelines could shift the restrictions on family gatherings just in time for the holidays. 

This year, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that we keep our celebrations outdoors and avoid contact with people outside of our household fourteen days prior to an event. Whether this is realistic or not for you and your family, there are plenty of ways we can attempt to keep each other safe. For example, simply not attending if you are sick, if you have symptoms, or if you are awaiting test results. 

We have already witnessed on countless occasions, on the news or in person, some people simply continue to have large gatherings regardless of health status and local ordinances. Some might argue that having a holiday gathering is irresponsible and should not take place considering our current situation in terms of COVID-19. In some cases that could be valid. Organizing large events with large quantities of people may not be the most precautionary action to take considering the circumstances. Although, as previously stated, there are plenty of ways in which we can keep one and other safe while still enjoying the holiday season. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that the “size of a holiday gathering should be determined based on the ability to reduce or limit contact between attendees, the risk of spread between attendees, and state, local, territorial, or tribal health and safety laws, rules, and regulations.” 

Thus, as long as your attendees are healthy and virus free, there should be no health concerns when having a small family gathering. For some, spending the holidays surrounded by their loved ones is definitely worth the potential risk; especially considering that fact that we have been in quarantine for about six months. 

However, we cannot continue on with our lives like this forever. Most would probably agree that the unknown is one of the scariest aspects of this pandemic, and the absolute last thing we want is to cancel our highly anticipated holiday season. Essentially, the COVID-19 situation is dictating so many aspects of our lives as it is, the last thing we need is for societal morale to deplete even further. 

For more tips on how to stay safe this holiday season visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.