See CDC Recommendations For Celebrating Thanksgiving In PA
Thanksgiving #Thanksgiving
PENNSYLVANIA — As Pennsylvanians prepare for Thanksgiving, they should heed recommendations and warnings issues by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to keep themselves and their family health amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The CEC recently shared guidelines on how families can have a safe holiday, recommending smaller dinners and virtual gatherings.
Holiday travel isn’t advised because it poses a higher risk of spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. Staying home is best, the experts said.
If you do travel, the CDC wants people to be aware of the risks. High-risk activities include:
Going shopping in crowded stores just before, on or after Thanksgiving.
Participating in or being a spectator at a crowded race.
Attending crowded parades.
Using alcohol or drugs, which can cloud judgment and increase risky behaviors.
Attending large indoor gatherings with people from outside of your household.
Read more CDC recommendations for how to have a safe Thanksgiving.
Moderate-risk activities
Having a small outdoor dinner with family and friends who live in your community. You can lower your risk by following CDC’s recommendations on hosting gatherings or cook-outs.
Visiting pumpkin patches or orchards where people use hand sanitizer before touching pumpkins or picking apples, wearing masks is encouraged or enforced, and people are able to maintain social distancing.
Attending a small outdoor sports events with safety precautions in place.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported a total of 155,906 confirmed cases of the coronavirus at noon Friday. According to the health department’s website, that includes 973 newly confirmed cases over the last 24 hours.
Pennsylvania also reported 8,179 deaths so far from COVID-19. In addition, the state reported 561 current hospitalizations for the coronavirus.
Below are the 10 Pennsylvania counties with the highest number of cases reported to date:
Philadelphia — 32,590
Allegheny — 12,527
Montgomery — 12,397
Delaware — 11,621
Bucks — 8,984
Berks — 7,258
Chester — 6,998
Lehigh — 5,731
York — 5,008
Northampton — 4,554
According to the World Health Organization, positive test results should no more than 5 percent for two weeks before reopening for business as usual. Georgia largely reopened for business in April and May, and since then Gov. Brian Kemp has promoted the use of face masks but has steadfastly refused to mandate them.
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Globally, more than 34.4 million people have tested positive for COVID-19, and more than 1.02 million people have died from it, Johns Hopkins University reported Friday.
In the United States, nearly 7.3 million people have been infected and more than 208,000 people have died from COVID-19 as of Friday. The U.S. has only about 4 percent of the world’s population but more confirmed cases and deaths than any other country.
With reporting by Andrea V. Watson
This article originally appeared on the Across Pennsylvania Patch