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After “flattening” the COVID-19 curve over the summer, states across the country have seen a surge in new cases as some have grown lax in socially distancing and wearing masks, particularly when in the company of close friends and family at gatherings such as dinner parties, game nights, or sleepovers.
At the outset of the pandemic, most of the clusters were linked to religious gatherings, nursing homes, tightly packed parties, and bars; however, smaller, private get-togethers have been tied to some of the recent outbreaks of the virus.
According to the White House coronavirus task force, asymptomatic attendees “cause ongoing transmission, frequently infecting multiple people in a single gathering.”
In a blog post, David Rubin, the director of PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, warned of the rapid spread of the virus due to personal gatherings and cautioned that there could be new restrictions put in place in some states to curtail the spread of COVID-19.
“If we choose to leverage this knowledge, we can reduce COVID-19 spread using targeted measures that limit gathering sizes while subverting an immediate need for lockdowns,” Rubin posted. “This includes targeted restrictions on bars (curfews and/or very limited occupancy) and sacrificing large holiday parties this winter.”
With the holidays approaching, the CDC issued new guidance this week regarding gatherings and celebrations.
“Holiday celebrations will likely need to be different this year to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” officials said. “Unfortunately, the COVID-19 epidemic is worsening, and small household gatherings are an important contributor to the rise in COVID-19 cases.
“Avoid potluck-style gatherings,” officials recommended, adding that a single, mask-wearing person should serve food on Thanksgiving to keep multiple people from having to touch serving utensils.
Cases of COVID-19 have spiked across the country as the temperature continues to drop and people are forced to gather indoors in smaller spaces.
There have been 10,560,771 COVID-19 cases confirmed in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University, the most on the planet, with 242,477 virus-related deaths. Globally, there have been 52,899,849 cases, with 1,295,841 COVID-19 fatalities.
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