Riverside County urges ‘smaller, shorter and safer’ Thanksgiving gatherings

Riverside County public health officials are asking residents to celebrate Thanksgiving in a “smaller, shorter and safer” fashion because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Consider these three steps that could help reduce the chance of virus spread if you decide to get together,” Kim Saruwatari, director of the Riverside University Health System – Public Health, was quoted as saying in a Thursday, Nov. 19, news release. “Smaller, Shorter, Safer could really help slow the spread of the virus.”

As of midday Friday, Nov. 20, San Bernardino County public health officials did not have a set of Thanksgiving holiday guidelines.

Each of the three points in Riverside County’s slogan is intended to lower the chance county residents will either catch or spread the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

• Smaller: “If you are going to meet during the holiday, keep the groups small and separate, even within a household,” the county guidelines read, in part. “Avoid large gatherings.”
• Shorter: “Keep get-togethers to an hour or two.”
• Safer: “Don’t forget about basic safety: wear a mask, practice social distancing and wash your hands. Eat and socialize outside. Consider seating one family group on the patio, while another sits in a separate area. Keep plenty of hand sanitizer on hand. Avoid sharing serving utensils.”

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Riverside County have doubled since Nov. 1 and the county has the third-most cases in California.

“Coronavirus is unfortunately rising rapidly in Riverside County, and around our state and nation,” Riverside County Board of Supervisors Chairman V. Manuel Perez is quoted as saying in the release. “Let’s be careful and protect ourselves and our loved ones and follow these public health messages.”

Even if Riverside County residents wanted to travel for the upcoming holiday season, they’ve got increasingly fewer options to do so.

On Friday, Hawaii announced new restrictions on out-of-state travelers and much of the world has some sort of restrictions, or even outright bans, on visitors from the United States.

Riverside County is among the 41 of California’s 58 counties in the state’s most-restrictive purple tier, after state officials announced changes in tiers Monday, Nov. 16, though the county already was in that tier. On Thursday, Nov. 19, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in purple-tier counties, starting on Saturday, Nov. 21.

State and federal health officials are offering similar advice about Thanksgiving gatherings.

Source link