Celebrating Safely This Fall
Dec 16, 2021
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As things are becoming more normal, that means that typical fall celebrations like Octoberfest, Halloween, and trick-or-treaters, and holiday parties will be in full swing.
It’s been a long, difficult year-plus for everyone, but the good news is that it appears that the pandemic that dominated our lives is starting to subside in part to public health efforts and the vaccine.
With the improved public health guidelines, celebrating together is becoming more common, are foundations for as seen by the recent Oktoberfest.
Yes, it’s great to be celebrating fall with activities such as the recent Rocktoberfest in Sarasota.
The recent Rocktoberfest was a traditional Oktoberfest featuring music and beer and was a hit all around.
The annual rock and beer celebration is one that was sorely missed for locals. As “Sarasota” Sandy shared, “they didn’t have it last year, but the year before they did...these events are fabulous. I’m so glad we’re doing this again, we really need it.”
Rocktober is just the first of many seasonal celebrations on the horizon, from Oktoberfest to Halloween, Thanksgiving, and other holidays. Celebrating and getting together with friends and family is what everyone is looking forward to doing.
And even though things are in full swing, it doesn’t mean we’re entirely out of the woods just yet.
How To Get Together Safely
As more and more people congregate, there is a chance of spreading and catching infectious diseases such as the common cold, COVID, and the flu.
That said, even though people are getting together more often, consider making efforts to minimize your chance of getting sick or avoiding spreading any diseases, even in the case of asymptomatic spread.
We know the basics of disease prevention include regular hand washing, mask-wearing, especially indoors, staying home when feeling ill, and avoiding large crowds. If you feel sick or have been recently in tight spaces with large gatherings, getting an at-home COVID test may be wise.
Having said that, even at-home tests may create a false sense of security, and it’s best to get a follow-up test through your Primary Care Provider or test site.
Testing at home will give you some immediate results to guide whether you should be out and about or stay home. Right now, it’s best to err on the side of safety, to protect yourself and anyone you may come into contact with.
The CDC has released some simple guidelines to promote public safety and personal health ahead of the celebrations as you plan your fall and winter holiday plans.
The primary concern is that the holidays combine large groups indoors, which is a significant driver of the spread of disease.
To eliminate those potential hotspots for disease spread, there are a few things you can do.
The first thing that the CDC recommends is to be sure to get your COVID vaccinations.
The vaccine is safe and effective and is offered free of charge. For people who cannot get vaccinated, such as young children, the primary way to protect them is by having all the people they come into contact with being vaccinated.
Additionally, in 2020 the guidelines for Halloween were more restrictive than this year. The current guidelines for Halloween include staying outdoors and in small groups while trick-or-treating.
For more holiday family gatherings, the recommendations include vaccinations, limiting travel, avoiding large indoor groups ahead of time, and getting a negative test result prior to celebrating with family.
One additional safety precaution on the horizon is that the FDA is preparing to approve the vaccine for children as young as five years to twelve years old and will roll out the vaccination effort as early as the beginning of November.
As this age range is the largest group without a vaccine, this is great news heading into the holiday season.
Regardless of your holiday plans, it's nice that we are getting closer to normalizing our activities with friends and family. However, this holiday season staying safe is still the priority, and recent CDC guidelines are more general and less restrictive.
That said, celebrating safely is still of utmost importance.
Combining a safe holiday season that includes vaccinations, testing, and other mitigation efforts should make celebrating this holiday season great. It’s been a long tough year plus, so make your plans, be safe and enjoy the holidays.