By: Zoha Wasif
Thanksgiving is coming, which is the time to be thankful. It is usually celebrated on the last Thursday in November with loved ones, eating foods like turkey, potato salad, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. But COVID-19 guidelines for Thanksgiving have just come out for Pennsylvania, along with many other states. All point out that this year, the safest plan is to stay home and celebrate the holiday with the immediate family that you live with. And thanks to Zoom meetings, you can still invite all the households in your family together for a family gathering. It means more turkey and mashed potatoes, so who could say no to that? If you do, however, decide to travel outside the state, there are certain guidelines you must follow that are different from state to state. CDC recommends that travelers should have a negative COVID-19 test or quarantine for 14 days within 72 hours of entering another state. Pennsylvania does not have a regulation on how many people can attend a gathering, but most of the surrounding states limit 10-25 people at most.
Precautions to take
In most states, including Pennsylvania, it is mandatory to wear masks when in public areas, maintaining six feet of social distance at all times. Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water. Avoid touching your face and head, and cover your face with your elbow when sneezing or coughing.
Do I need to get a coronavirus test?
The Pennsylvania Secretary of Health issued an order starting November 20, 2020, at 12:01 a.m., stating that anyone entering the commonwealth from another state or returning from another must have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to entering the commonwealth. If they cannot or choose not to get a test, they must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. New York has a similar rule in which people must take a COVID-19 test three days before arrival and again on the fourth day when they have arrived; if taking a test is not available, they must quarantine for 14 days. Delaware, Ohio, and West Virginia are following the CDC COVID-19 recommended guidelines when traveling state to state to observe a 14-day quarantining prior to and upon entering the state and when returning to your home state.
Is there a regulation for the number of people allowed at a gathering?
Pennsylvania does not have a regulation on how many people are allowed in a household as long as the six-foot social distancing rule is being followed. In New York City, however, no more than 10 people are allowed in a social gathering, as well as in Ohio and the gold, orange, and red counties in West Virginia. But 25 people are allowed in the green and yellow counties of West Virginia. In Delaware, only 10 people are allowed in an indoor gathering, but 500 are allowed in an outdoor setting with 6 feet of social distance.
For the states that are not mentioned in this article, this CDC site gives you the specific Thanksgiving guidelines for each state: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-planner/index.html