Is It Safe To Have Thanksgiving Dinner This Year?
There are a lot of unknowns about the Thanksgiving season this year. Though it will look different, we still have to dine and make sweet memories, even amid the pandemic.
Although traditions might look different, it is possible to host a safe Thanksgiving dinner with loved ones. Before hosting your friends and family, give yourself time, and think about how you will conduct the activities.
How to Host a Safe Thanksgiving Dinner during the Coronavirus Pandemic
Here are the questions. How can you safely have a Thanksgiving meal this year? Unsure of how many people to invite – or how to host the feast safely? Worry no more.
There’s little to no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread from eating food prepared by other people.
Nonetheless, before sending invitation cards to your friends and loved ones, it’s wise to sit down and think about their wellbeing. But if you are certain that you want to share your meal with loved ones, how safe will you ensure that everyone stays healthy?
With that in mind, here are some Thanksgiving safety tips:
- Measure your available space.
To determine the layout’s size you hope to host in, measure the space or the table.
Invite people according to the size available, and don’t forget to maintain a safe distance between each seat. Physical distance is key since everyone will unmask during mealtime.
- Get creative with your Serving style.
Yes, we know your typical Thanksgiving traditions. From cooking in a group to congregating around the food table.
To lower risks, limit the number of people in the kitchen either by assigning one head chef. Avoid serving meals using “family style.” Having one person plate meals will be safer than setting up a buffet. Urge people to serve themselves individually with clean cutlery.
Seat guests apart. Consider assigning seats based on social and household groups. Provide enough utensils and napkins for appetizers and snacks so that everyone will have their servings.
- Practice good hygiene during the celebration.
Put hand sanitizers in every corner of the house or handwashing sections. Additionally, you can open windows throughout for ventilation. And, discourage your guests from sharing anything that has been in their mouth, like drinks.
- Ask every guest to take proper precautions.
If possible, send messages to the guests, ask them to self-isolate as much as possible before Thanksgiving dinner.
Self-quarantine will help prevent anyone from picking up the virus elsewhere and bring it to the party. You can also go ahead and ask everyone to get tested as the celebration nears.
- Or dine together virtually.
You can choose to organize a meal exchange and add all your recipe links to a shared spreadsheet or through video chat. That way, you will experience the same meal over a long distance.
Bottom line
As much as we love to focus on the food, adhering to safety measures is also important. As you prepare your Thanksgiving dinner, follow the above practices to ensure that no one gets sick because of Covid-19 infection and foodborne illness.
Urge all the guests to adhere to the health guidelines put in place as they enjoy that turkey.
If it’s your first time cooking Thanksgiving dinner, don’t sweat it. The focus will be on how to make your family enjoy the moment.
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