The holidays are upon us and many Americans are being forced to make difficult decisions about how to celebrate during the time of a pandemic. As the COVID-19 health crisis continues to rage on, many holiday plans are being thrown into flux. In an effort to guide families on their holiday planning decisions, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued guidance for the Thanksgiving holiday.

It is also a good idea to apply these general principles to your December holiday planning. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you decide how to approach the coming weeks so that you can keep your family safe and do your part to stop the spread of this deadly virus.

Restrict Travel

The official line of the CDC is that Americans should restrict their travel during this time. The CDC said that canceling or postponing travel is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones this year. The most conservative choice is to choose to celebrate the holidays with only those people in your immediate household. Traveling out of your region is the worst thing that you can do as states continue to grapple with soaring numbers of infections.

College students are also advised to not return home for Thanksgiving, head back to campus for a few weeks, and then come back home for the holidays. This movement will only serve to exacerbate the conditions on campuses already experiencing COVID-19 spikes. Instead, students should stay put and only travel once.

If You Must Travel, Do So Safely

If you do decide to defy the recommendations to travel away from home for the holidays, it is vital that you take as many precautions as possible. You should absolutely not get on an airplane with any type of COVID-19 symptoms.

Many people are taking COVID-19 tests, thinking that a negative result will guarantee that they are not infectious. However, it is important to remember that it often takes days after the initial exposure to the virus for a test to register as positive. This means that you may still be sick and spreading the infection even if you have had a negative test result in the last few days.

If you are traveling, be sure to check the rate of infection at your destination. There are certain hotspots that should definitely be avoided. It is also a better idea to take a road trip compared to getting on an airplane. Making good choices can help to mitigate the spread of the virus and reduce the chances that you get sick while on your journey.

Take Precautions During Gatherings

If you are gathering with family during this holiday season, you are going to need to take extra precautions to keep everyone safe. If you are lucky enough to live in an area with a moderate climate, you should take your gathering outside.

Serving food can be a tricky proposition during a pandemic. You can reduce the risk of virus transmission by having everyone bring their own food. If you must serve food, it is better to serve all of the items in individually packaged servings. Buffet-style eating can clearly be a dangerous idea during this time.

It is also a good idea to strategically place hand sanitizer around your home so that guests are encouraged to wash their hands often. If people from outside your household are gathering indoors, facial coverings are a necessity. The CDC has noted that the spread of the virus is happening more and more in homes as people relax their safety protocols.

Remember that there are no guarantees that nobody will get sick during your gatherings. The best way to prevent the spread of infection is to only celebrate with those people in your immediate household.

There is no doubt that this holiday season will look different than what anyone has ever experienced. However, it is important to remember that what you do over the coming month can have a significant effect on how the COVID-19 numbers look at the beginning of the year. In order to mitigate the spread of the virus, every family needs to do their part to stay healthy and well.