Aside from affecting people’s livelihoods, the pandemic also stopped people from hosting or even attending parties. Even if physical parties are not advisable, companies can still host virtual parties, which is practical since many people work from home. The main reason why people should forego hosting parties for the moment is to prevent super-spreader events.
Despite the continuing rollout of the vaccine, hosting parties is not yet recommended. This comes as new variants of the virus have started to emerge in the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has indicated that attending large events can also increase the risk of infection.
The current situation makes it untenable to hold events where people from different households will converge. But these gatherings may be possible with a few reminders from the authorities.
Coronavirus Case Surge
People were initially skeptical about the seriousness of the situation when the pandemic initially started over a year ago. But a study showed that the spring break of 2020 helped spread the virus in different campuses and communities in the country. The college students may have caught the virus when they visited popular destinations for spring break last year.
For this year’s spring break, the CDC advises against traveling since it can increase the chances of infection. The spring break this year is another event that people should forego for the meantime since it can cause another surge in coronavirus cases.
The Fourth of July celebrations last were subdued due to a surge in the number of coronavirus cases in the United States. But when Thanksgiving came, families still gathered. This resulted in another spike in the number of coronavirus cases. Similarly, the Christmas holidays also caused a surge in coronavirus cases across the country.
Despite these spikes in the number of cases, the authorities could rein it in as the government implemented a mask directive in federal property, and the vaccine rollout was intensified. This may have helped bring down the number of daily cases to a more manageable level.
Gatherings
Aside from the federal mask mandate, different states also ordered the wearing of masks helped slow down the spread of the virus. This reduction in the number of cases may have given people the confidence to go out of their homes.
Even though the CDC discouraged gatherings, people may still want to visit family and friends they haven’t seen for nearly a year. Due to this, the CDC provided guidelines in case people want to host a gathering or get-together with family and friends.
The guidelines still emphasized mask-wearing. The authorities even recommended that people should wear at least two layers to protect themselves and others. Additionally, they were also advised to stay around six feet away from people who are not a part of their household. The authorities also encouraged holding the gathering outdoors whenever possible. If it was not feasible to have an outdoor event, the venue should be well-ventilated, especially when it comes to large gatherings.
Virtual Gatherings
Even as people wanted to see each other physically, the safest way for the moment is for people to organize gatherings. At this point, they can still set up the custom doormat at the front door in case the authorities give the go-signal that allows households to host parties at home.
Families can still have fun in virtual gatherings. They can connect their computer to a large-screen television and a camera so everyone can see everybody. They can schedule a virtual meal together, and they can show what they are eating during the virtual gathering. They can even play virtual games and organize a virtual dance party. This is probably the safest way for families to gather until the pandemic is over.
Vaccine Rollout
The current vaccine rollout has already fully vaccinated around a tenth of the U.S. population. Of the total people inoculated, around 60 percent of at-risk seniors or those belonging to the 65 and above age group already received at least one dose of the vaccine. Around 30 percent of the same age group receiving two doses of the vaccine.
The entry of the third vaccine from Johnson & Johnson will accelerate the rollout and people can look forward to a new normal soon. This situation is highlighted with the green light from the CDC indicating the people who received the final dose two weeks ago can already socialize indoors without wearing a mask. While it may take some time before the majority of the population can do this, it’s still a sign that everything may go back to normal soon.
Even though hosting physical parties is not yet advisable, people can look forward to being with their loved ones soon as the nation achieves herd immunity.
