This holiday season, GCPS joins the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in encouraging families to celebrate more safely as they gather with friends and family, especially for multi-generational gatherings with unvaccinated family members or those at a higher risk for severe disease. Getting vaccinated if eligible remains the best way to minimize COVID-19 risk and keep your family and friends safer, including children who are too young for the vaccine.
Here are some other tips from the CDC:
Opt for outdoor activities when you can. Outdoor activities are safer than indoor events. Generally, you do not need to wear a mask in an outdoor setting unless it is a crowded public space in an area with high numbers of COVID-19 cases, or for close contact with others who are not fully vaccinated.
Avoid crowded, poorly ventilated spaces.
If you are sick or have symptoms, don’t host or attend a holiday gathering. Get tested if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have close contact with someone who has COVID-19.
Wear a mask covering nose and mouth in public indoor settings if you are not fully vaccinated. Children under the age of 2 should not be masked.
Wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission, even if you are fully vaccinated (two weeks or longer after second shot). This will maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others.
Those with weak immune systems may not be fully protected even if fully vaccinated and should continue to take all precautions recommended for unvaccinated people, including wearing a well-fitted mask. If you live with someone who has a weakened immune system, is unvaccinated, or is at increased risk for severe disease, you might choose to wear a mask in all indoor public settings regardless of the level of transmission in your area.
Limit visits with those who are unvaccinated (or vaccination status unknow) and keep others at a distance if you have a family member who is younger than 2 years old or one who cannot wear a mask.
Take additional precautions if you are gathering with a group of people from multiple households or different parts of the country. For instance, get tested for COVID-19 before gathering and avoid crowded indoor spaces before travel to further reduce risk.
Learn more about ways to safeguard the health and safety of you, your family, and others when it comes to daily activities, indoor and outdoor activities, and small and large gatherings.
Working together, we can enjoy safer holidays, travel, and protect our own health as well as the health of our family and friends.
About Travel
CDC recommends delaying travel until all travelers in the group are fully vaccinated. If you and your family must travel, unvaccinated family members should follow CDC’s domestic travel or international travel recommendations. Consider safer travel options such as car travel with few stops or nonstop air travel if you will be traveling in a group or family with unvaccinated people. Remember, everyone, regardless of vaccination status, is required to wear a mask on public transportation and follow international travel recommendations.