With what you could call a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic now underway, the CDC has just issued specific guidelines that you should follow over the Thanksgiving holiday.

It's that time of year when families and friends come together to celebrate the holiday season, but there's one big factor this year when it comes to gatherings like these, and that's the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the last few weeks, we've seen a surge in COVID-19 cases in Connecticut and New York, and because of this, and the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, the CDC has set certain guidelines to keep everyone safe.

According to wtnh.com, a Trip Advisor survey revealed that 56% of people will be traveling to visit relatives, and family gatherings have become one of the main causes of the spread of the virus. It's not entirely known if it's because of the lack of social distancing, or it's because family members relax guidance on wearing masks and physical contact, but either way, we now have at least four rules we are being asked to follow when having one of those family get-togethers.

A few weeks ago, Governor Ned Lamont rolled back from phase 3 to phase 2, and strict rules were issued to restaurants and bars as well.

Now the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) have issued four different guidelines that we should try and follow:

  • Distance: Keep your distance of at least 6 feet from others around a Thanksgiving table because you can’t wear your mask while you’re eating.
  • Travel: For travel, consider how you are traveling (car or plane), is it direct or are there stops/layovers along the way that would increase exposure.
  • Location: Also consider the location of the gathering: indoors vs. outdoors and the number of attendees.
  • Duration: How long is the gathering, how long will you be there?

One of the other suggestions the CDC had was not to play any loud music due to the fact that people tend to talk louder or even shout when music is played, which could easily cause the spread of droplets.

Some other suggestions is to try and illuminate touchpoints and use touchless trashcans or take the trashcan out of the cabinet. Keep doors open and use technology.

Another factor to consider is Governor Ned Lamont's mandate for the phase 2.1 re-opening, which limits these type of holiday gatherings to just 10 people.

Here's the full story as reported by WTNH News 8 in Connecticut:

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