Navigating our new normal, particularly when it comes to summer celebrations, can be a challenge.
How do you hold events like family reunions, weddings and parties safely and responsibly, especially with our current spike in COVID-19?
Dr. Amy Khan, Executive Medial Director for Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah said we can still enjoy getting together with friends and family this summer, but flexibility is key. "It’s really important to understand how the virus is transmitted and adjust our behavior so that we can get back to safely living," said Khan.
One of Dr. Khan's main recommendations? Make those summer parties virtual. "The advantages are that you can invite many more people, even those that might be elderly or family members that may have fragile health conditions," said Khan.
You can also just keep your celebration outside where it is easy to follow safe COVID-19 protocols. "For things like barbecues or cookouts, the advantage there is they’re outdoors where the air is fresh and you can assure that physical distancing," said Khan.
One thing to keep in mind even with outdoor celebrations is to keep table surfaces clean and keep people spread apart. You should also continue to limit your group size. " It’s important the group size. It does really matter. Keep the group size smaller in order to keep people physically apart," said Khan.
When it comes to food, opt for items with easy cleanup to cut down on the mess and transmission of germs. Takeout is a good option, as well as disposable plates, cups and utensils.
Dr. Khan said even though this summer looks a bit different, we can still celebrate. "COVID-19 has really shaped and changed the way that we work, we shop, we play and nothing like the summer to remind us we want to have fun."