How to have a COVID-safe Thanksgiving gathering
There's still a risk of transmitting the COVID-19 virus, but experts say tracking local transmission, getting vaccinated, and testing guests can minimize the odds.
The classic American Thanksgiving has always carried some risk: driving to Grandma’s house, engaging in political conversations with family members, eating undercooked turkey. But in the COVID-19 era, people have also had to face serious concerns about gathering during a global pandemic.
As the country’s second COVID-19 Thanksgiving approaches, experts say the landscape of risk has changed. New variants have emerged, and tens of thousands of new infections are still occurring every day in the United States. Vaccines are available for everyone age 5 and older, but only 59 percent of people in the U.S. are currently fully vaccinated, and some populations remain at risk due to underlying conditions or compromised immune systems.
Data also suggest that bringing people
