celebrate!
By Sherry Wells
A
fter many months of sheltering-in-place and quarantining and Zoom meetings, people are ready to get ‘out and about’ again. Seeing friends can ease stress and anxiety in these very stressful days. As you make plans to gather with family and friends this summer, health experts want you to please do it safely. Having your gathering outside where, ideally, there is more space to social distance properly is the best option. First, it’s important to consider the size of your gathering. The number of guests should also depend on how much space you have. While gatherings of up to 50 people is allowed across the state now that Illinois moved into the fourth phase of its reopening plan, a smaller gathering poses less risk. Place chairs and tables spaced apart to adhere to social-distancing protocols. Next, decide who you should invite. Consider the age, health status and general comfort
16 celebrate!
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level of your guests, as well as your own immediate family. If they are older or immunocompromised, they might be more at risk. Here are some tips to help you provide for a safe party environment: • Encourage people to wear masks. Don’t take it personally if a friend isn’t ready to get together. • As the party host, clean and disinfect everything, tables, chairs and common areas before, during and after the party. Keep out wipes and hand sanitizer for continual cleaning of all high-touch areas your guests have access to. • Not everyone is comfortable offering bathroom privileges. Keep a time limit for your gathering. If you let guests use your bathroom. put out wipes, lots of soap and hand sanitizer. • If you plan on firing up the grill, this will not be like your typical barbecue. You should arm yourself with a plan so that people have as few touch-points and interactions as possible. • Use disposable dishes and utensils. You can also have a system where people pick up a plate of food rather than serve themselves. People serving food or drinks should wear masks and gloves. July/August 2020
