Boone County health officials warn against big gatherings, shopping at busy stores over Thanksgiving
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Boone County health officials are warning residents to stay away from high-risk activities such as shopping in crowded stores this Thanksgiving as COVID-19 case rates rise.
The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services released Thanksgiving guidance for the community Thursday.
The document outlines possible risk levels of traditional Thanksgiving activities, including large gatherings, shopping in crowds and traveling.
Low-risk activities include having Thanksgiving dinner with only people who live in your household, having a virtual dinner or taking advantage of curbside pick-up or delivery.
Moderate-risk activities include having a small outdoor dinner with family and friends who live in your community, visiting pumpkin patches or orchards and attending small outdoor sports events with safety precautions in place.
High-risk activities include going shopping in crowded stores, attending crowded parades or festivals and having a large indoor gathering.
A parent touring the University of Missouri's campus Julie Close said she has adjusted her holiday plans to make sure everyone stays safe.
"This year we are going to think outside the box maybe and do some different seating spread everybody out a bit even thought about not doing buffet style so we aren't hovering over the food a lot and everything," she said.
The guidance also outlines travel safety guidelines, how to stay safe if you choose to go shopping and what precautions to take when volunteering over the holiday.
Health department Assistant Director Scott Clardy said the most important thing to avoid is gathering with people outside of your household.
"We are recommending people absolutely not try to get within 6 feet of people who are not in their household for 15 minutes or longer and not having any personal contact with those folks," he said.
The health department released the holiday guidelines on the same day Boone County reported a record 222 COVID-19 cases and the county's 18th COVID-19-related death. The county's hospitals were treating a record 117 patients with COVID-19, according to the county's online COVID-19 hub.
Students or others who do not live with family or don't have family nearby should not go home or visit loved ones if they feel sick.
"If they are sick they should not be going home I know that's not what anybody wants to hear but it's the truth," Clardy said. "Anyone who is sick should not be going to any sort of Thanksgiving gathering."
He said the goal of the guidance is to keep cases down on the University of Missouri campus and in the community.
The health department encourages county residents to remember to follow the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19 guidelines no matter what they do.
