Ten Tips For Hosting A Socially Distant Party
Photo by Adi Goldstein
By Aimee Jo Davis-Varela
The best way to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus is to stay home as much as possible and do our socializing online and over the phone. While virtual gatherings are still the safest, I know that summer is here and that many of you are looking forward to hosting your first barbecue of the season or finally hanging out with friends. So, since we all know that backyard gatherings are happening more these days, let’s go over 10 ways you can practice risk reduction and make your next social gathering as safe as possible. 1. Keep the guest list small: Virtual events are still the safest, but if you really need some in-person socializing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider “smaller outdoor and in-person gatherings in which individuals from different households remain spaced at least 6 feet apart, wear cloth face coverings, do not share objects, and come from the same local area (e.g., community, 18
town, city, or county)” as less risky than larger gatherings. 2. Send invitations: Invitations have always set the tone for a party and let your guests know what to expect, but they serve an even more important purpose now. Sending a paper or email invitation is the perfect opportunity to spell out exactly how the gathering will work and what precautions everyone will be expected to follow. This will help invitees know what to expect and to determine if they feel comfortable enough to attend. Invitations are also crucial for a social distancing party where you might be asking folks to bring their own chairs, utensils, or drinks. Give your invitees all of the information they need for your party to be a success and for everyone to feel comfortable and prepared. 3. Host the gathering outdoors: The risk of airborne transmission is lower outdoors, so that is definitely where you should host your gatherOM — July 2020
ing. This does not bring the risk to zero, but it is much better than sharing stagnant air indoors. 4. Designate a single entrance and exit: One option is to host the gathering in your driveway or in your front yard, which will likely mean no one needs to touch doors or gates to get to the party. If you will be hosting it in your backyard, it is better to have your guests go through an open gate than to go through the house. 5. Prepare your bathroom: Make a clear line to the bathroom to guide traffic and reduce folks touching things on their way in and out. Make sure you are well stocked on hand soap, and consider disposable guest towels. These are not the greatest option for the environment, but they may reduce the chance of exposure. Equip your bathroom with a trash can with a bag but no lid or with a no-touch trash can, which is a good thing for us all to be considering investing in at this point anyways.
