HANCOCK COUNTY, Ohio — The holiday season is upon us, and if you plan to attend a party in-person, there are a few ways you can manage it safely as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
The official recommendation is to stay home this holiday season. However, if you do plan to gather with people from outside your immediate household, gatherings should include less than 10 people and masks should be worn at all times.
Hosts and guests should engage in regular handwashing and common surfaces should be sanitized during the event - not after.
Beth Schweitzer with Seneca County said Monday that along with eating separately, food prep should also be a focal point.
"One person serving the food - you can have that one person preparing the food, serving the food so that multiple people are not touching utensils and reaching back into the same dish," Schweitzer said.
Another recommendation is to utilize space. Try to keep your immediate household in your own pod on one side of a room, while everyone else stays in their own pods on another side.
Hancock County Health Commissioner Karim Baroudi said if you're visiting or hosting, you should start quarantining now, for a minimum of 10 days.
Though this season won't feel exactly the same with COVID-19 lingering, it is expected to be the only Christmas season this pandemic impacts.
"We want to celebrate multiple Christmases after this one, so let's keep it on the low key. Hopefully, next Christmas is going to be one of the biggest celebrations ever. But for now, let's take care of each other and let's take care of our families," Baroudi said.