KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Thanksgiving is getting closer and closer, and the Knox County Health Department is sharing tips on how people can enjoy a turkey dinner with guests while also staying safe.
They recommended hosts provide a hand sanitizer and a mask station for guests, so they can clean their hands as they walk into the building and eat. They also recommended serving food and drinks in disposable dinnerware.
Hosts should also provide socially distanced seating options during dinner, and health leaders recommended keeping the group small. If families are eating dinner indoors, they also recommended taking steps to increase the ventilation in the room.
They said people should open windows if they're inside. Health leaders said that the families should communicate expectations for guests before meeting up, so everyone will know what to expect for Thanksgiving dinner.
Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon posted tips on her Facebook page Saturday afternoon. By following the tips, officials said families will lower risks of spreading or getting COVID-19.
Doctors and the health department are also urging people to think twice before traveling for Thanksgiving.
"I usually travel, but we're just having it here with our nuclear family," said Charity Menefee, director of environment and communicable diseases for KCHD. "We're going to be doing more over FaceTime and Zoom and that type of thing so that we can still connect with our family."
After crowded weekends near Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, Sevier County saw pronounced spikes in COVID-19 cases.
With COVID-19 already surging across the state and nation, health leaders fear it could get worse after the holidays.
"This is a COVID-19 Thanksgiving," said Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University Medical Center. "We love being together but it's just because we love everyone that we shouldn't expose everyone to the potential of picking up the virus."
If you do plan on traveling, KCHD offered some tips to make your trip safer.
"Take your mask first and foremost. I always travel with hand sanitizer," said Menefee as she emphasized the five core actions. "Wash your hands before and after touching common surfaces, wear your mask and keep your distance from people."