Thanksgiving 2021: How Could High COVID-19 Transmission Rates Affect the Holidays?

Americans are now preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday, but COVID-19 transmission is also high across the country. As per the COVID Data Tracker of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), high transmission rates of the infection are recorded in 39 states.

But how could this high transmission rate mean for the holidays, including Christmas? In 2020, public health officials recommended keeping holiday season celebrations limited to the immediate family. But that might change a little bit this year.

New York City Braces For Increase In COVID-19 Cases — NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 01: A man walks down a street in Brooklyn on December 01, 2020 in New York City. New York City, and much of the nation, is bracing for a surge of COVID-19 cases following the Thanksgiving holiday which saw millions of Americans travel to see family and friends. According to the COVID Tracking Project, a record-high of 96,039 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in the US as of Monday. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Getty Images

High COVID-19 Transmission Rates in the US

According to Fox8, the top five highest COVId-19 transmission rates include South Dakota with a positivity rate of 15.9% or an average of seven new cases per day, while Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah have 105 14.9% positivity rate.

New York is also included in the top 39 states with the highest transmission rates but still has lower rates than other states. Other states with 10% or higher positivity rates are Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, and Nevada.

Meanwhile, states with the lowest positivity rates recorded less than 3% include Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Louisiana, Hawaii, Illinois, Florida, and Connecticut. However, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island are still labeled high community transmission by the CDC, while Connecticut, Hawaii, and Louisiana are labeled areas with substantial virus transmission.

AAA said that they are predicting a Thanksgiving travel this year that can rival pre-pandemic levels in a news release. They estimate that around 53.4 Americans will travel on Thanksgiving. Due to that, CDC has released some guidelines to celebrate the holidays with family safely.

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Celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas This 2021

As CDC posted on their website, they encourage the public to celebrate the holidays as safely as possible. The first on their list is to get fully vaccinated before traveling.

But for those not fully vaccinated yet, Springfield-Greene County Health Department head Whitney Mann said they should wear a well-fitting mask over the nose and mouth.

Another way to celebrate the holidays safely is to check your risk levels and the transmission rate of the place you are visiting. But still, CDC recommends delaying travel for those who are not fully vaccinated.

Moreover, the CDC also noted that those with underlying conditions and taking medications should continue to take all precautions recommended for unvaccinated people, such as wearing a well-fitted mask. Also, if you live with a person with comorbidity or a weak immune system, choosing to wear a mask will be the best way to reduce the risk of transmission. However, they do not recommend putting a face mask on children below two years old.

Since Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are celebrated in groups, CDC recommends avoiding crowded indoor spaces before travel and taking a test before joining in a family gathering.

Public officials expect this year's celebration will be different from last year's for the availability of vaccines and their proven efficacy in reducing and preventing COVID-19 infections.