Everyone loves to gather with their friends and have fun. However, although many people have gotten their vaccines, many people like Father George Rutler believe that people should ease their way back to everyday life. The CDC has recommended that people should still avoid gathering at large events. However, the CDC hasn’t given a specific number to define small and large events.
Large gatherings are what bring individuals together from various households in a public or private space. Immense gatherings are generally planned with guests or invitations. They often include lodging, long-distance travel, event staff, and security. The CDC’s guidance for large events applies to conferences, sporting events, concerts, festivals, large weddings, and parties.
Smaller gatherings are generally informal and occur with family and friends that people see regularly. These gatherings typically don’t involve any long-distance travel. The guidance for small gatherings is more appropriate for more intimate gatherings with close family or friends, such as family dinners, holiday parties, and special celebrations.
Risks To Consider
CDC has offered guidance for individuals to follow to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. If an individual is an event planner, then they should contact their state and local health officials. The following factors could create higher or lower risks:
- Number of cases in or near the community: Increasing levels of COVID cases near the event location or the location that the attendees are coming from could increase the risk of the spread among others. The event planner can find the data on the local health department website.
- Setting: Determining if the event is going to be indoors or outdoors is significant. If an indoor area has poor ventilation, it will only pose a risk than an outdoor event.
- Number of people: Events with more people increase the likelihood of being exposed. The size of the crowds is based on whether people are coming from different households and can properly social distance at the event.
- Attendee behavior: Events where people are having behaviors such as shouting, singing, not maintaining physical distance, and interacting with others that aren’t from the same household. These types of behaviors can increase the risk of spreading COVID-19.
Once event planners have reviewed the CDC’s planning tool, they will determine their level of readiness to implement the safety measures. Any organizer should assess the conditions of the event and choose whether to postpone or cancel the event or gathering. If the organizers cannot keep the safety measures in place, they may need to consider hosting the event virtually.
Conclusion
If people are planning to gather in large crowds, they should make sure they take suitable approaches. Individuals should ensure that if they don’t feel safe, they wear a mask and are in an enclosed area that is adequately ventilated. Event planners should also ensure that everything is handled cleanly and anything touched is appropriately sanitized.
Along with the CDC and Father George Rutler, it is highly advised that if individuals have had COVID-19, they take every possible consideration and slowly re-introduce themselves into society properly.
