Coronavirus Vaccine Doesn't Alter Winter Holiday Safety Guidance

Guidance from the CDC about celebrating winter holidays notes that traveling by bus, train or airplane could make staying six feet apart from others difficult, increasing the risk of contracting the virus.

According to the CDC, those who are thinking of traveling should consider:

• Whether they or someone in their household is considered high risk for COVID-19.
• If cases are high or increasing in their community or in their destination, increasing the risks of contracting and spreading the virus. The CDC's COVID Data Tracker can provide that information.
• Whether hospitals in their community or destination are already overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients. To find out, check state and local public health departments.
• Requirements or restrictions for travelers around testing or quarantining in their home state or destination.

For those who decide to travel the CDC recommends:

• Getting a flu shot before you go
• Always wearing a mask in public settings, over your nose and mouth
• Washing your hands often and using hand sanitizer frequently
• If driving, pack food and limit stops
• Stay away from crowded, poorly ventilated spaces

Castrucci says he is “beyond concerned” that people will continue to ignore medical advice and will take unnecessary risks. “By choosing to visit friends and family outside of your household for Christmas, it puts you at greater risk of not being there for next Christmas,” he says.

Advice on celebrating

The CDC also recommends not gathering with people outside your own household. Testing can provide some information about whether or not someone has COVID-19, but only provides a snapshot in time and is not a guarantee of safety. If you do plan to see others outside your “bubble,” the CDC guidance says you should:

• Limit the number of guests
• Set expectations for social distancing and masking requirements ahead of time
• Stay six feet apart
• Gather outdoors, weather permitting
• Open windows and doors if celebrating indoors
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces
• Bring your own food, drinks, plates, cups and utensils

Bill and Jan Lutz, both 85, say they'll get the vaccine as soon as it's available to them. But before that, it's likely the Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania, couple will celebrate Christmas on their own. Typically they gather with about 20 members of their family, but they're concerned about contracting the virus. In addition, the couple's continuing care retirement community has quarantine restrictions in place for those who come in contact with family or friends who don't live in the community. Lutz and his wife celebrated Thanksgiving alone (although with family Zoom calls) for the first time this year.

"I see the light at the end of the tunnel with the vaccine and I'm willing to be one of the first to get it,” he says. “But we don't feel like we can loosen up yet.”

Kenyon says people should approach the winter holidays like the Lutzes. “People want a rationale for returning to normal behavior, but we don't have one yet,” Kenyon says.

But there are ways to put a safer spin on traditional holiday activities, according to the CDC. The guidance recommends a list of festive virtual options that range from opening gifts or doing cooking or craft projects through video chat. Other ways to bring safe festivity to the season is to drive or walk around your community to see decorations at a safe distance, attend virtual religious ceremonies or enjoy outdoor activities.

The CDC even addresses those visits to Santa. You can schedule a virtual visit to the North Pole, visit Santa Claus outdoors while wearing a mask and staying six feet away or visit Santa inside with precautions like masks and plexiglass safety windows.