Thanksgiving will be different for many residents across Texas this month as they prepare to host safe celebrations while the state reports more than 1 million COVID-19 cases.
Exercise Science senior Corina Cisneros said this Thanksgiving does not feel traditional to her.
“Instead, it’s more, everything’s more secluded. It’s just individualized and well times are tough right now,” Cisneros said. “I know a lot of people have been, don’t have jobs or don’t have the sufficient amount of funds to provide for a Thanksgiving dinner. So, it’s not, I don’t feel like it’s a traditional Thanksgiving and I feel like not a traditional holiday, like in general.”
The Texas Department of State Health Services tweeted on Nov. 18, in the seven days prior, the state averaged 8,231 new cases and 126 fatalities per day.
Regional Medical Director for TDSHS Dr. Emilie Prot explains the surge across the state, especially in Region 11 which includes the Rio Grande Valley.
“Where is this coming from? Well, there is a wide community spread. So, there’s not one single area where we’re saying, you know, ‘it’s this factory or this meatpacking plant, or this detention center,’” Dr. Prot said. “We are seeing some spread, there’s gatherings outside of school. So, sleepovers, between sports teams. We’ve been seeing those where we’re seeing some small outbreaks, but definitely, it’s people that are gathering within households for events, for dinners, for parties.”
She thinks there will also be an increase of cases after Thanksgiving.
“I think people do let their guard down when they see people that they are familiar with, that they’re used to seeing and that’s what’s difficult,” Dr. Prot said. “I understand that people do want to get together, but we have to use those very lifesaving ways to prevent disease transmission. So, knowing some simple, you know, wearing your mask and it has the person who’s coming, have they taken risks? Were they are not wearing their mask, if they’re not social distancing for the prior 14 days prior to gathering.”
According to Dr. Prot, the best way to celebrate Thanksgiving this year is to be within one single household as travel can lead to potential exposure.
“If someone’s coming in from out of state, out of the county, they’re not in your household, even if they’re in the same county, but living under a different roof, they’re not in your household,” she said. “And depending on how people are traveling to that place, you know, are they coming by air on an airplane? Are they traveling by bus, are they going to train stations or gas stations or rest stops? Those are all places where you can potentially be exposed to the [coronavirus].”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, postponing travel and staying at home is the “best way to protect yourself and others this year.”
Dr. Prot said if someone is traveling, they should be put in a room with a bathroom with closed doors.
“Anytime they come out of that room, they need to wear a mask and everyone else needs to wear a mask,” she said. “So, everyone should wear a mask as someone else coming in from not within that household.”
If residents do decide to gather, Dr. Prot recommends gathering outdoors due to continuous ventilation as compared to being indoors.
“If you are indoors, opening up the windows will also help to increase ventilation in the room, knowing that spreading out six feet,” Dr. Prot said. “So, allowing a certain amount of space, if you don’t have enough space where people can spread out six feet, don’t gather indoors. So all of these things need to be looked at if someone’s coming in from college, that is not part of your household.”
Cisneros said she will be traveling to Dallas to visit other family members during Thanksgiving.
“I know myself, my family, like we’re traveling, yes we’re going with family, but we’re taking all precautions where it’s getting COVID testing before leaving,” she said. “And my family in Dallas is getting COVID tested. So, we won’t be traveling anywhere else, with just a straight shot, no stopping anywhere.”
Visit the CDC’s website for Thanksgiving precautionary measuring during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For Vaquero News, I’m Victor Ramirez.
