Take steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Avoid holiday travel and limit physical contact with people who do not live with you.
If you choose to travel or gather with people who live outside of your household, follow these recommendations.
- Get tested for COVID-19 three to four days before traveling or attending gatherings.
- Do not host or attend a gathering if you've been exposed to COVID-19 or have symptoms.
- Guests who are high risk for complications from COVID-19 should attend events virtually.
- Keep the guest list small.
- Live together? Sit together. If not, stay 6 feet apart.
- Use single-serve options or have one person serve food so that multiple people are not handling items.
- Clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces such as door
handles and sink faucets
- Host your gathering outdoors. If that’s not possible, make sure the room is well-ventilated by opening windows and doors.
Celebrating virtually or with members of your own household (who are consistently taking measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19) poses the lowest risk for spread. Your household is anyone who currently lives and shares common spaces in your housing unit (such as your house or apartment). This can include family members, as well as roommates or people who are unrelated to you. People who do not currently live in your housing unit, such as college students who are returning home from school for the holidays, should be considered part of different households. In-person gatherings that bring together family members or friends from different households, including college students returning home, pose varying levels of risk.
The following people should not attend in-person holiday gatherings:
People with or exposed to COVID-19
Do not host or participate in any in-person gatherings if you or anyone in your household
- Has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and has not met the criteria for when it is safe to be around others
- Has symptoms of COVID-19
- Is waiting for COVID-19 viral test results
- May have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days
- Is at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19
Do not host or attend gatherings with anyone who has COVID-19 or has been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days.
People at increased risk for severe illness
If you are an older adult or person with certain medical conditions who is at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19, or live or work with someone at increased risk of severe illness, you should avoid in-person gatherings with people who do not live in your household.
View CDC Holiday Gathering Webpage
NCDHHS Guidelines for Get Togethers
View and download PDF Flyer here