How to Make a Non-COVID Vacation Plan According to the CDC
Remember the 2020 holiday season? We argued that the safest step would be to have Thanksgiving at home and postpone the big Christmas gatherings until next year, when we hope everyone has vaccines. (If you remember, the first COVID vaccines were legal in December.) It’s different this year, but we’re not out of the woods yet. The CDC updated their Celebrations page just in time to schedule these seasonal gatherings.
Here are their tips, which fit pretty well with the common sense that many of us already do.
Children remain vulnerable to COVID-19
While there is hope that children under the age of 12 will be able to receive vaccines soon, this is not yet the case, and even if you get your children vaccinated on the earliest possible day, it will take time for immunity to develop. (Two weeks after the last dose, the definition of “fully vaccinated” still remains in the series.)
Some tips for protecting children:
- Get everyone around you vaccinated.
- Even if you are vaccinated, you can wear a mask to holiday parties if you have children at home to better protect them.
- Children must wear masks when meeting indoors with people other than their family members, with the exception of children under 2 years of age.
- Children under 2 years old must not wear masks. (This is not because the masks are bad or not working; it is largely because toddlers will chew on or drool through masks.)
Do we need masks for the holidays?
You are probably already familiar with this exercise, but if not, then these considerations are still valid:
- If you are not fully vaccinated and will be spending time indoors with people who do not live in your home, you should definitely wear a mask.
- If you are vaccinated but will be spending time indoors with people who do not live in your home, it is recommended that you wear a mask if transmission in your area is “significant” or “high”. (You can check out the parish level map here , but spoiler alert: that’s pretty much it.)
- If you have a weakened immune system, you should get vaccinated, but then continue to mask yourself as an added layer of protection, as some immunocompromised people do not have a full immune response to the vaccine and you may not necessarily know if this is. you.
- If you have a vulnerable person at home, you can wear a mask even if you are vaccinated.
Where should we have a party?
- Locked, crowded places are still bad news.
- Outdoors is better than indoors if you can.
And, as always, please do not attend or hold meetings if you are not feeling well.
What about travel?
If you are fully vaccinated, the CDC has no specific advice for you other than that you must wear a mask on public transport (this is the law) and that you should consider the guidelines above on where to wear a mask.
If you are traveling with children or others who have not been fully vaccinated, the CDC has a page explaining safe travel options . The safest way to travel is on a short trip with very few stops. If you need to fly, choose the route with the least number of stops or changes; you don’t want to hang out at more congested airports than you need to.
When it comes to accommodation, your best bet is to stay with a vaccinated family or rent an Airbnb or cabin where you get all the space for yourself. And when you are on the road, the safest way is to take your food out instead of eating in a restaurant.