Holiday celebrations will begin soon. This holiday season, consider how your holiday plans can be modified to reduce the spread of colds, flu, and COVID-19 to keep your friends, families, and communities healthy and safe. CDC offers the following considerations to slow the spread of a virus during small gatherings.

Considerations for Small Gatherings of Family and Friends

Celebrating virtually or with members of your own household poses the lowest risk for spread. In-person gatherings that bring together family members or friends from different households pose varying levels of risk.

There are several factors that contribute to the risk of getting and spreading illness at small in-person gatherings. In combination, these factors will create various amounts of risk:

• Community levels – High or increasing levels of flu or COVID cases in the gathering location, as well as in the areas where attendees are coming from, increase the risk of infection and spread among attendees.

• Exposure during travel – Airports, bus stations, train stations, public transport, gas stations, and rest stops are all places travelers can be exposed to a virus in the air and on surfaces.

• Location of the gathering – Indoor gatherings, especially those with poor ventilation (for example, small, enclosed spaces with no outside air), pose more risk than outdoor gatherings.

• Duration of the gathering – Gatherings that last longer pose more risk than shorter gatherings.

• Number and crowding of people at the gathering – Gatherings with more people pose more risk than gatherings with fewer people.

Considerations for Attending a Gathering

Below are some general considerations for hosting a gathering that brings together people from different households. Hosts should consider the following:

• Limit the number of attendees as much as possible. Guests should avoid direct contact, including handshakes and hugs, with others not from their household.

• Host outdoor rather than indoor gatherings as much as possible.

• Avoid holding gatherings in crowded, poorly ventilated spaces with people who are not in your household.

• Increase ventilation by opening windows and doors to the extent that is safe and feasible based on the weather, or by placing central air and heating on continuous circulation.

• Encourage attendees to wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

• Limit contact with commonly touched surfaces or shared items such as serving utensils.

• Clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces and any shared items between uses when feasible.

• Use touchless garbage cans if available. Use gloves when removing garbage bags or handling and disposing of trash. Wash hands after removing gloves.

The more of these prevention measures that you put in place, the safer your gathering will be. No one measure is enough to prevent the spread of a virus. And remember, please do NOT visit if you have a cold or symptoms of Influenza, RSV, or COVID-19.