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Safest Way To Celebrate New Year's Holiday In GA Is At Home: CDC

Health experts urge Georgia residents to stay home this New Year's holiday. If you can't, here are a few tips to enjoy the weekend safely.

Health experts urge Georgia residents to stay home this New Year's holiday. If you can’t, here are a few tips to enjoy the weekend safely.
Health experts urge Georgia residents to stay home this New Year's holiday. If you can’t, here are a few tips to enjoy the weekend safely. (Shutterstock)

GEORGIA — While New Year's Eve traditionally means dinner out, or parties or packing into clubs, health experts urge Georgia residents to steer clear of big gatherings this year as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations surge.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday released guidance on what and what not to do when celebrating the new year. Cocooning at home, or on a Zoom session with family and friends, is the best way to ring in 2021.

"The safest way to celebrate the new year is to celebrate at home with the people who live with you or virtually with friends and family," the agency said. "Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others. Travel and gatherings with family and friends who do not live with you can increase your chances of getting and spreading COVID-19 or the flu."

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Here are a few other things you can do to reduce your risk of contracting the coronavirus this New Year's:

Hosting A Gathering

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  • Check the COVID-19 infection rates in areas where your guests live. Use state, local, territorial or tribal health department websites.
  • Limit the number of guests you invite.
  • If weather permits, plan a small outdoor meal with family and friends who live nearby.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and items between uses.
  • If celebrating indoors, make sure to open windows.
  • Limit the number of people in food preparation areas.
  • Have guests bring their own food and drink.
  • If sharing food, have one person serve food while wearing a mask. Use single-use dinnerware, such as plastic utensils.
  • Use touchless garbage cans if available.
  • Treat pets as you would other human family members. Do not let pets interact with people outside your household.

"Staying home and celebrating with the people you live with or celebrating virtually with loved ones is the safest choice this year," the CDC said. "Do not attend large gatherings this year. If you do host or attend a small gathering, everyone can take steps to make celebrating the New Year safer."

Consider Other Activities to Celebrate New Year’s

Have virtual celebrations with loved ones:

  • Attend a virtual concert or performance.
  • Plan a virtual countdown to midnight with friends.
  • Enjoy a virtual dinner or dessert with friends and family.

Plan a New Year’s party for the people you live with:

  • Decorate, play music, and have a dance party with the people you live with.
  • Have a pajama party and watch your favorite movies or play games.
  • Plan a special meal or dessert with your family.

Reach out to family, friends, and neighbors:

  • Call, text, or leave a voicemail for family, friends, and neighbors wishing them a happy new year.
  • Call friends and family to count down to the new year together.
  • Plan a neighborhood countdown to midnight. People who live with each other can stand in front of their house and cheer together at midnight.

Other ideas to safely celebrate:

  • Watch a livestreamed firework display, concert, First Night event, or other New Year’s programming from your home, such as the Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop. Virtual events are happening across the United States.
  • Take care of yourself and do something you enjoy, such as reading a book or taking a walk.
  • Pick up a special meal from a local restaurant to share with your household.
  • Plan an outdoor activity with people you live with such as a hike or sledding.

Attending A Celebration

  • Bring your own food, drinks, plates, cups and utensils.
  • Wear a mask, and safely store your mask while eating and drinking.
  • Avoid going in and out of the areas where food is being prepared or handled, such as the kitchen.
  • Use single-use dinnerware and other items, such as salad dressing and condiment packets.

If You’re Traveling

  • Check travel restrictions before you go.
  • Get your flu shot before you travel.
  • Always wear a mask in public settings, when using public transportation, and when around people who don’t live with you.
  • Wear your mask correctly over your nose and mouth, secure it under your chin, and make sure it fits snugly against the sides of your face.
  • Stay at least 6 feet apart from anyone who is not in your household.
  • Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer.
  • Avoid touching your mask, eyes, nose and mouth.
  • Bring extra supplies, such as masks and hand sanitizer.
  • If driving, pack your food and limit stops.

Other Safety Precautions

  • Indoors or outdoors, you are more likely to get or spread COVID-19 when you are in close contact with others for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.
  • It is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick to stay 6 feet (about 2 arm lengths) from other people.
  • Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces as much as possible.
  • Use a window fan to blow air out, which will pull fresh air in through the open windows.

Stay Home If You Are Sick

  • Stay home if you are sick, except to get medical care.
  • Isolate yourself from other members of your family and wear a mask.
  • Even if you don’t feel sick, you can still spread COVID-19 to others.

See the CDC’s full guidance online. Other holiday guidance is available on Georgia’s public health website.


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