COVID-19 Holiday Safety Guidance

"This Holiday Season, Protect Yourself and Protect Your Family. Protéjase y Proteja a su familia."

 

To minimize the spread of COVID-19 and ensure everyone has a safe and healthy holiday season, Austin Public Health is offering risk guidance for gatherings.

We recommend avoiding all high-risk activities and being cautious with all medium-risk activities to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Celebrating virtually or with members of your household is the best option this holiday season, but if you still choose to gather traditionally follow Austin Public Health guidance to do so safely.

 

 

 

Low-Risk Activities

  • Celebrating with members of your household
  • Decorating your living space
  • Hosting a virtual gathering with friends and family
  • Preparing traditional recipes and delivering them in a no-contact manner
  • Watching holiday-themed movies or shows

Medium-Risk Activities

  • Hosting a small dinner with local family and friends outdoors
  • Attending an outdoor gathering
  • Visiting orchards and tree farms where hand sanitizer is used before touching objects
  • Having an outdoor parade or movie night

High-Risk Activities

  • Participating in traditional caroling or other door-to-door activities
  • Attending crowded, indoor gatherings
  • Going on hayrides with non-household members
  • Traveling outside your community for gatherings and events

 Do NOT attend in-person celebrations if you:

  • Have been recently diagnosed with COVID-19
  • Have symptoms of COVID-19
  • Are waiting for test results
  • May have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days
  • Or a household member are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19

Safety Measures:

  • Outdoor activities are safer than indoor activities - avoid crowded, poorly ventilated, and fully enclosed indoor spaces
  • Bring supplies to help you and others stay healthy (i.e. extra masks and hand sanitizer)
  • Consider avoiding contact with people outside of your household for 14 days before the gathering
  • Minimize gestures that promote close contact (i.e. hugs and handshakes)
  • Maintain physical distancing and masking around people you do not live with
  • Avoid singing, chanting or shouting, especially when not masking or physical distancing
  • Clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces and any shared items between uses

 Gatherings can contribute to the spread of other infectious diseases. Before any gatherings, get a flu vaccine to protect you and your families’ health.

Holiday Guidance Flyers

View, download or print a COVID-19 Holiday Guidance flyer in the following languages:

English | Español  |  Tiếng Việt  |  中文 (简体)  |  中文 (繁體)  | 한국어 | Burmese |  اُردُو‎‎ |  العربية