With Covid-19 cases rising in New York once again, many are starting to have trepidation about what to expect this winter. The holiday season especially is normally a time that families look forward to the most and this pandemic is once again requiring adjustments on everyone’s part. Thanksgiving is normally a time for families to get together. Often this involves family that doesn’t live locally to travel to whomever is hosting the dinner. With the virus’ incredible ability to spread from host to host, this can easily become another avenue for the infection rate in New York to worsen. Here are some suggestions on safety precautions for this Thanksgiving.
Aside from anyone living in your house, the CDC still recommends that any other person, family or not should follow the same social distancing guidelines that we have seen from the start. The reason being should someone visiting have the virus unknowingly, you and your family can avoid becoming infected. Keep the gathering small, maintain a distance of six feet, and avoid hugs and handshakes. If we are fortunate enough to have good weather, having the gathering outside greatly reduces the risks of spreading.
A simpler approach to a safe Thanksgiving would be to have your Thanksgiving meal together but separate through a zoom video meeting. Not only does this eliminate the risk of spreading the virus, but it also takes away the need for family members to travel far distances to celebrate Thanksgiving. Many students have used zoom for virtual learning. If you have never used zoom before, maybe someone in the family can show you how to set one up.
If you have decided to travel to see your family on Thanksgiving, if at all possible it would be better to drive instead of flying. Airports have large crowds of people and airplanes are a confined space you are sharing with strangers. If driving is a possibility, even if it takes a bit longer, you are greatly lowering your risk of spreading the virus.
If you are flying, it is imperative that you are aware of surfaces that you touch, and to wear your mask at all times. Some airlines offer the ability to pick your seat on the plane. Try, if possible, to seat yourself where there are empty seats next to you. In the airport, maintain social distancing and stay away from crowds. Especially during boarding, people tend to crowd around the gate to get on the plane. If it means getting on the plane a little later than others, it might be in your best interest to wait for the crowds to die down before you board your plan. Bring sanitation wipes to wipe your seats and your area.
Naturally what comes after Thanksgiving is holiday shopping. As exciting as this can be, we strongly discourage any and all “doorbusters” on Black Friday. Even with the precautions that stores may be taking to create a safer environment for shoppers. Going to the malls during the busiest shopping time of the year is only creating more opportunity for the spread of the virus. Practically every store is offering the same sales online as they are in store. Others are doing curbside pickup. Use these alternatives rather than physically shopping on Black Friday weekend.
Steven Palermo is the managing partner for Palermo Law, Long Island’s Personal Injury Law Firm. He has been helping people receive compensation for their injuries for over 21 years. He focuses on cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, construction accidents and slip and fall injuries.
His book The Ultimate Guide to Handling New York Car Accident Claims details the ins and outs of a car accident claim in a simple, easy-to-read manner.