With Thanksgiving nearly here and friends and family coming together to celebrate the holidays, the District 2 Public Health Office encourages gathering safely this holiday season to protect yourself and others.
“Many families will be a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated family members,” District 2 Public Health Information Officer Natasha Young tells Now Habersham. “We encourage all family members who are eligible to become vaccinated. Anyone who is unvaccinated should wear a mask indoors, and any families that have a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated persons should consider having their gatherings outdoors if the weather permits.”
The D2PH continues to encourage handwashing and social distancing, and also recommends that gatherings take place in open-air spaces. They suggest opening windows or doors to increase air circulation during indoor gatherings.
“If anyone is showing signs of illness, they should stay home,” Young says. “Additionally, if a person is already fully vaccinated, they should consider getting their booster dose prior to travel.”
Flu shots are also highly encouraged— the D2PH office says that protecting loved ones from both COVID-19 and the flu during flu season is incredibly important. If you haven’t received your flu shot or COVID-19 booster (or initial doses), you can safely get both the flu and COVID-19 vaccinations together.
“It is important for all of us to protect those we love, our friends and family, from infection,” Young says. “Get vaccinated, wear a mask when in public places, stay home if you are ill, and practice good hand hygiene and safe food preparation.”
