Officials Offer Tips and Launch Holiday Toolkit to Keep Residents Safe
Annapolis, MD (November 18, 2020) With just over a week before Thanksgiving Day, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman and County Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman are reminding residents to not let their guard down when it comes to protecting themselves against COVID-19. With surging COVID rates, County officials are encouraging residents to proceed with extreme caution when celebrating with family during holiday celebrations.
The County is offering the following tips for a safe Thanksgiving, consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.
- If you are not feeling well, stay home! Even if your symptoms are mild, avoid families and friends and get tested;
- Wear masks unless you are eating or drinking;
- Gather outside if possible;
- Wash your hands frequently and offer hand sanitizer;
- Have one person serve all food so that multiple people are not handling utensils;
- Arrange tables and chairs to allow for social distancing
“We’re Anne Arundel and we’re all in this together. Thanksgiving is a time when we all want to get together to show gratitude for what we have and for each other,” said County Executive Pittman. “But this year, the best way to show our gratitude is to keep our distance and observe best public health practices. The best thing that we can do for those we love is to find ways to be together, while staying apart. We don’t want to invite COVID home for the holidays.”
In addition to holiday tips, Anne Arundel County is launching a public health campaign, Stop Covid From Coming Home for the Holidays. Beginning with Thanksgiving and running through the end of the year, the campaign is meant to educate and empower Anne Arundel County residents to make safe and healthy decisions. The campaign includes email and social media messages along with printable posters and fliers about county resources targeted to the County’s most vulnerable residents.
“Thanksgiving is a time when we come together to show gratitude socially and emotionally,” said County Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman. “This year we can still give special thanks by celebrating in thoughtful and kind ways that protect ourselves and others.”
Information from the campaign will be available on all County websites, emailed and texted to residents subscribed to receive County information and disseminated to stakeholders and community groups.
“When it comes to saving lives, there can’t be too much information. With rising Covid numbers and deaths, we’d all rather be safe than sorry,” County Executive Pittman added.
The Thanksgiving holiday social media toolkit can be found here.