FAMILIES MAKE DECISION ON THANKSGIVING DURING COVID-19
Whitmer asks families to curtail traditional dinners
For this Thanksgiving, it’s up to each family to determine how to celebrate during the coronavirus pandemic.
For Pat Roselli, Thanksgiving this year will be smaller than last year. She’ll host a dinner at her Clarkston home consisting of her three children and their families who live nearby. Two members of her extended family will not be flying in from Texas like they did last year.
“We decided if one of us gets COVID between now and then, we’re going to do something different. Right now we’re just trying to be careful and we’re trying to be normal,’’ Roselli said 10 days ago.
She said her family, who she sees regularly, has much to be thankful for and will be missing her husband Carl who died in February. He was in a nursing home last Thanksgiving.
“We’ll be a little sadder because we know Carl is not even at the nursing home. At least before we could go visit him at the housing home before Thanksgiving dinner,’ Roselli said.
A retired nurse, Roselli is comfortable with their decision to have Thanksgiving dinner at her home even though she is aware others will be skipping the tradition.
For each family the discussion on Thanksgiving involves varying factors including the number of attendees; their ages and co-morbidities; and whether anyone has been exposed to COVID-19.
That number is growing with new cases in Oakland County adding up to 2,350 from Nov. 20-23. No deaths were reported in that four- day stretch.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has asked families to curtail traditional Thanksgiving dinners. In Michigan, gatherings are limited to 10 people and two households.
“We are doing our part when we protect our loved ones and stay apart this holiday. We’re preserving future holiday gatherings together by taking this seriously now. By not gathering with people outside of your household this Thanksgiving, it is an act of kindness and love,’’ Whitmer said in a press conference on Nov. 19.
The Centers for Disease Control released a new warning on Tuesday:
“As cases of COVID-19 continue to increase rapidly across the United States, the safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving is at home with the people you live with. Gatherings with family and friends who do not live with you can increase the chances of getting or spreading COVID-19 or the flu. If having guests to your home, limit the number of guests, have conversations with guests ahead of time to set expectations for celebrating together, and clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and items between use.”
Also weeks ago the CDC urged people not to travel during the Thanksgiving holiday, but the Transportation Security Administration reported that more than 1.04 million people went through airport security checkpoints Sunday, the most since mid-March, and about 1 million more went through TSA checkpoints each day on Friday and Saturday, according to NPR.
“Diversity of a gathering that is more than your own household, increases risk. If it’s more than your own neighborhood, risk goes up even more. If it’s more than your own county it goes up even more,’’ said Dr. Russell Faust, Oakland County Medical Director.
“If it’s a gathering of people from outside your state the risk goes up even greater. The greater the diversity of the gathering, the greater the risks. The holidays are going to bring people around, they’ll travel from outside places that have a higher rate than we do,’’ Dr. Faust added.
The state of Michigan has issued holiday guidelines. An outdoor event is recommended if possible, although with a forecast of 50 degrees for Thursday it would be chilly.
If indoors, the guidelines say to avoid crowded, poorly ventilated, or fully enclosed indoor spaces. Increase ventilation by opening windows and doors to the extent that is safe and feasible based on the weather.
Make sure those attending bring masks and hand sanitizer. Wash hands regularly and wear masks when not eating.