As Covid-19 case numbers rise, officials are urging families to celebrate the holidays safely.Health experts are asking the more than 18 million people AAA estimates will travel this Christmas to reconsider.
"We want everybody that's here now to be here for next year's holiday season,” says Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar. “And thanks to the vaccine, that's actually possible. So now is not the time to let our guard down."
The HHS says the safest way to celebrate is at home, and only with those you live with.Officials are asking people to skip large in-person gatherings, church services and parties, saying even gathering held outdoors still carry risk.
"We really need to ensure that we don't make things worse by accidentally causing an infection or accidentally receiving an infection,” says Dr. Frank Esper with the Cleveland Clinic, “especially during times when everything else is just so topsy turvy and just so strained from a medical standpoint."
Those who must travel should in keep mind many states require a negative test, or quarantine, if traveling from high-infection areas.
