The DC Department of Health has issued a COVID-19 guidance specific for Thanksgiving which will be celebrated on Thursday, November 26.
According to the guidelines, traveling outside the DC region to states with higher COVID-19 rates than DC; attending or hosting large indoor gatherings with people from outside your household (even if they are close friends and family); attending sporting events or parades; and in-person shopping with crowds are all designated as high-risk activities.
Having a small group outdoor dinner with your family and friends who live in the area is considered among “medium-risk activities” as long as you are following basic guidelines like wearing face coverings and social distancing.
Taking your family to a local pumpkin patch or picking apples at a local apple orchard with social distancing is also a medium-risk activity.
As for “lower-risk activities,” having a small Thanksgiving dinner with only your household members; hosting a virtual dinner with your extended friends and family using video technology; watching sporting events, parades and holiday programs at home with your household members; and shopping for Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals online (preferably with local retailers) are all in this category.
“It may feel unusual wearing masks around guests, having a virtual celebration, or not sitting around a crowded dining room table, but these are necessary and important sacrifices,” DC Health says. “Remember, this pandemic will not last forever. We will be able to celebrate together in the future. These are temporary sacrifices we are making to protect our community and the people we love.”