The holiday season is upon us! As COVID-19 cases continue to increase across the United States, the CDC has recommended several ways to keep COVID-19 at bay this year. As always, we want our residents and their loved ones to have fun while remaining safe and healthy.

Celebrate with the people you live with.

The safest way to enjoy Thanksgiving is to celebrate at home with the people you live with or host a virtual gathering with family and friends. In-person gatherings with family and friends who do not live with you can increase the changes of getting or spreading COVID-19.

If you choose to stay at home this Thanksgiving, here are some fun ways to enjoy the day:

• Watch the Thanksgiving Day parade, catch a football game or enjoy a holiday movie on TV with members of your household.
• Get creative and try out a new Thanksgiving recipe.
• Soak up the last of the fall weather and take a Thanksgiving stroll around the neighborhood. It'll feel good to get some fresh air.
• Break out a deck of cards or a board game for some competitive fun.
• Get crafty! Here at Regency, we love our socially-distanced crafting parties! This year, our residents are making edible turkeys out of apples and other candies. Talk about yummy!

Host a virtual Thanksgiving meal.

Schedule a time to share a meal together virtually. At Regency, we are providing a tasty Thanksgiving meal to our residents via delivery or pick-up. We are also helping our residents virtually connect with family members using video calling technology.

Travel safely.

Travel may increase your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others this year. If you are considering traveling for Thanksgiving, here are some important questions to ask yourself and your loved ones beforehand. These questions can help you decide what is best for you and your family.

• Are you, someone in your household, or someone you will be visiting at increased risk for getting very sick from COVID-19?
• Are cases high or increasing in your community or your destination? Check CDC’s COVID Data Tracker for the latest number of cases.
• Are hospitals in your community or your destination overwhelmed with patients who have COVID-19? To find out, check state and local public health department websites.
• Does your home or destination have requirements or restrictions for travelers? Check state and local requirements before you travel.
• During the 14 days before your travel, have you or those you are visiting had close contact with people they don’t live with?
• Are you traveling with people who don’t live with you?

If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” you should consider making other plans, such as hosting a virtual gathering or delaying your travel. It’s important to talk with the people you live with and your family and friends about the risks of traveling for Thanksgiving.

Wear a mask.

Wear a mask with two or more layers to help protect yourself and others from COVID-19. Make sure to wear your mask properly. IT should cover your nose and mouth and be secured under your chin. Make sure the mask fits snugly against the sides of your face.

Stay at least 6 feet away from others who do not live with you.

Remember that people without symptoms may be able to spread COVID-19. Keeping 6 feet (about 2 arm lengths) from others is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick, like our residents.

Wash your hands.

Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and keep hand sanitizer with you and use it when you are unable to wash your hands.

Gather safely.

Celebrating virtually or with the people you live with is the safest choice this Thanksgiving. If you choose to attend or host a gathering, take these additional steps to make your celebration safer:

• Have conversations with guests ahead of time to set expectations for celebrating together.
• Have guests bring their own food, drinks, plates, cups, and utensils.
• Wear a mask and safely store your mask while eating and drinking.
• Limit the number of guests.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and items between use.
• If celebrating indoors, bring in fresh air by opening windows and doors, if possible. You can use a window fan in one of the open windows to blow air out of the window. This will pull fresh air in through the other open windows.
• Limit the number of people in food preparation areas.
• If sharing food, have one person serve food and use single-use options, like plastic utensils and salad dressing and condiment packets.