How to have a COVID-friendly Thanksgiving
With Coronavirus cases hitting an all-time high daily, the CDC just announced its guidelines to keep healthy during the holiday season. If you and your family are celebrating Thanksgiving, the CDC asks that you keep these guidelines in mind to keep yourself and your family safe.
The CDC, and Governor Baker, recommends limiting gatherings to just those who live in the same household as you. For anyone who you’d like to celebrate with that doesn’t live in your household, the CDC asks that you host a virtual celebration with them. Gatherings should also be limited in size and amount of time because the more people you’re around for an extended period of time, increases your chances of catching the virus.
The CDC also recommends only celebrating with people who have consistently followed the guidelines and will continue to do so during your gathering. Those guidelines include mask-wearing, proper hygiene, staying home if sick, and social distancing.
Along with staying safe during the event, there are certain things you can do to prepare safely. That includes wearing a mask while preparing food, bringing food for just your household rather than having a potluck style meal, improve ventilation by leaving doors and windows open, assign one person to serve everyone food while wearing a mask, etc.
On Saturday, Dr. Joseph Oravecz, Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management sent an email with more guidelines for students to follow according to Governor Baker’s guidance.
In an attempt to keep cases from rising after college students go home for the holiday, students must receive a negative COVID-19 test from their college within 72 hours before they leave campus. Students who test positive must stay quarantined on campus for 14 days and those who were already isolating or in quarantine must complete it before leaving campus. Upon arrival back to campus after the holiday, must have a negative COVD-19 test within 72 hours of returning to campus.
BSU will provide testing for all students this Monday, November 23 from 9 am – 3:30 pm at the Testing Center located in the Dunn Conference Center. If you have already left campus for the holiday, BSU asks that you do not come back just for testing.
