The city’s guidance breaks common holiday activities into three categories based on risk.

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As the holiday season grows nearer, D.C. has issued COVID-19 guidance for Thanksgiving next month.

The city warns against traveling outside the D.C. region to states with higher rates of COVID-19, and attending or hosting big indoor gatherings with people outside your household, among other activities.

Among the lowest risk activities are having a small Thanksgiving dinner with members of your household or holding a virtual dinner with extended family.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said during a press briefing on Monday that small gatherings concern her, because people “let their guards down because they’re in a familiar setting, their home, a family member’s home, they’re with familiar people, their own family. And there’s celebration, so there’s a lot of food and drink, and that also causes people to let their guards down.”

Like its Halloween guidance, D.C. Health broke activities into three categories based on risk level.

Lower-risk activities include:

  • Having a small Thanksgiving dinner with only members in your household
  • Having a virtual dinner with extended family and friends
  • Watching sporting events, holiday programs, and parades at home with members of your household
  • Doing Black Friday or Cyber Monday shopping online

Medium-risk activities:

  • Having a small outdoor group dinner with family and friends who live in the D.C. region, while wearing masks and with social distancing measures in place
  • Taking your family to a local pumpkin patch or going apple picking at a local orchard while social distancing

High-risk activities:

  • Traveling outside the D.C. region to states with higher rates of COVID-19
  • Hosting or attending large indoor gatherings with people outside your household, including close family and friends
  • Shopping in person with crowds
  • Attending sporting events and parades

For those doing Black Friday or Cyber Monday shopping, Bowser encouraged supporting local retailers. The mayor also emphasized the need to wear masks around guests, even though it may feel strange. “While it may feel awkward and uncomfortable, we know that that’s the best way that we can take care of each other,” she said.

The guidance comes as states across the U.S. grapple with a surge in coronavirus cases, and many people weigh the risks of holiday travel. Last week, D.C. added eight states to the city’s list of high-risk locations, bringing the new total to 39.

Filed Under: coronavirus, covid-19, d.c. health, mayor muriel bowser, thanksgiving,