Illinois has seen a significant spike in COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths in November. Today, state health officials announced 8,322 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Monday for a total of 664,620. With that in mind, many people in Illinois are concerned about Chicago Thanksgiving celebrations and the effect they’ll have on public health. To help you and your family stay safe, Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys presents the following Chicago Thanksgiving COVID-19 safety tips.
Chicago Thanksgiving Travel Tips
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised Americans not to travel for Thanksgiving. Doing so greatly increases your risk of exposure to the latest coronavirus strain. Despite this, activity at Chicago O’Hare International Airport has been heavy. The CDC recommends spending Thanksgiving at home and only with people in your household.
If you absolutely must travel for the holiday, be advised of the risk. If you have airline tickets, consider canceling them or postponing your trip. Public transportation options such as airplanes, busses, and trains make six feet of social distancing extremely difficult. If possible, travel by car with members of your household. Should you opt to travel by car, please note that roads will be busy for the holiday, increasing your chances of a traffic accident.
Thanksgiving Dinner and Parties
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot updated the city’s stay-at-home advisory on November 12, 2020. One of her recommendations was to “Cancel traditional Thanksgiving celebrations.” Following the CDC’s guidelines, Mayor Lightfoot strongly urges Chicagoans to celebrate Thanksgiving at home and only with those in their household.
As with the CDC’s travel advisory, some people will not follow Mayor Lightfoot’s recommendation for Chicago Thanksgiving. For people that plan on hosting or attending Thanksgiving meals and parties, there are many things that can be done to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. They include:
- Having one person in the kitchen wearing nitrile gloves preparing full plates ahead of time
- Using disposable plates, utensils, and cups
- Preparing single-serve desserts instead of using dessert trays
- Using single-serve condiment packets instead of having everyone touch bottles
- Making masks, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes easily available to guests
- Having everyone eat at least six feet apart from each other
- Taking turns at the dining table instead of everyone eating at once
- Wearing a mask when not eating or drinking
- Washing your hands after touching any surface
- Renting heat lamps for outdoor dining, which offers maximum airflow
As with most holiday celebrations, kitchen and appliance activity will be higher than normal. Please be wary of burn injuries in the kitchen and electrocution injuries near any appliances.
Lerner and Rowe Wishes You a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving
The entire team at Lerner and Rowe hopes that your family has a wonderful Thanksgiving. 2020 has been a very challenging and unusual year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe that if everyone does their part, we can overcome these challenges. Please consider following the recommendations given by the CDC and Mayor Lightfoot, and be sure to share this Chicago Thanksgiving COVID-19 safety guide with your family and friends.
Should you or a loved one suffer a personal injury over Thanksgiving weekend, please contact us immediately. Our representatives are available 24/7 — even on Thanksgiving Day. You can reach us by phone at 708-222-2222 or through the Internet via LiveChat or encrypted contact form. Consultations are free and we do not charge any fees unless your case is won.