From the Editor

Holiday Celebrations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Over one million new covid-19 cases were recently reported in the United States over the past week.

As cases continue to rise all over Florida, the Tampa Bay area ranks in fifth place with some of the highest numbers of cases reported since this pandemic first started. The CDC recommended not traveling during the Holidays unless necessary and is frequently reminding people that the safest way to celebrate the Holidays is at home with only the people you live with. Traveling increases the chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. This holiday season, do not travel out of state or have family travel into Florida to join your celebrations. Personally, I used to celebrate Thanksgiving and the Holidays with large groups of over 40 people!!! But this year I’ve decided to celebrate with only the members of my household… of course my three cats are included! This pandemic has been extremely stressful and definitely isolating. I know many of us were looking forward to spending the Holidays celebrating together and cheering for the new year, but we have to do our part to flatten the curve and bring those numbers down. Consider celebrating virtually with those loved ones or family members outside of your own household. Your household is anyone who currently lives and shares common spaces in your housing unit (such as your condo, home, or apartment.) This can include family members, roommates, or people who are unrelated to you, and of course, your pets! People who do not currently live in your housing unit should be considered part of different households. Face to face celebrations that bring together different families and members of different households pose varying levels of risk that we should all consider. Social gatherings during the upcoming Holidays should be kept at a minimum, and only to those members of your direct circle. This holiday season, consider how your plans can be modified to reduce the spread of coronavirus to keep your family, friends, and community healthy and safe. If you’re hosting a party, please host outdoor rather than indoor if possible. Limit the number of attendees as much as you can to allow people from different households to remain at least 6 ft apart at all times. Gatherings with more people always pose a higher risk than gatherings with fewer people. The CDC does not have a limit or recommend a specific number of attendees for holiday gatherings. They recommend that everyone stay 6 feet (2 arm lengths) apart, wear masks, wash hands and sanitize often, and follow all state regulations. Even though you may consider it “rude” to skip a party or gathering, do not be afraid to say no and stay at home with your immediate family. Nobody should judge you or make you feel bad for trying to keep everyone safe. If you’re an older adult or person with certain medical conditions who is at an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 or live or work closely with someone at increased risk of severe illness, you should avoid in-person gatherings with people outside your household. My mother is 67 years old and has bad COPD, and her lungs are not the best. She suffers from chronic pneumonia, and she’s at a very high risk of catching it. So we’ve had to turn down some invitations because of the high risk it would represent. Even though this has been a tough year for a lot of us, there are things you can still do to enjoy the Holidays while social distancing. Go on a walk or a drive to see holiday decorations with the members of your immediate household. Learn a new recipe at home and cook more often with people who live with you. Do all your Holiday shopping online rather than in person. You can still share food and baked goodies with friends or relatives that are not the best in the kitchen, but consider delivering it to their doors without having direct contact with them.

With all that said, I want to leave you with this message that resonated with me; 2020 may not have been the year we got everything we wanted, but it became the year in which we truly learned to appreciate everything we already had. Let us be thankful that despite everything, we’re still here fighting. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year 2021. Stay safe, everyone! Until next year! Carla Dubis Tedeschi