A Different But Still Memorable Holiday Season

By Christina Moylan, November 20, 2020
A message from Christina Moylan, Director of Public Health Emergency Preparedness.

Public Health Column introduction video.

Heading toward the end of our fall semester at Ithaca College is bittersweet this year. Normally, the excitement of students preparing to return home to their families for a long week of relaxation during the Thanksgiving break would be palpable. This year that electrical charge is much more muted and South Hill is far too quiet, and will remain so throughout December given our remote status.  

Our students who have been in the Ithaca area this fall, and our essential faculty and staff who have reported to campus, have taught us a tremendous amount about navigating this pandemic. The vast majority of our campus community has risen to the occasion, making sacrifices and doing their part to protect everyone’s health. The return of our entire campus community to South Hill in the spring will present an even greater challenge. However, we are confident that we are ready and that by working together, even when faced by challenges that we know will come, our spring semester will be a success.  

Plan to keep Thanksgiving small and with members of your household who you live with regularly. If you return home from college, test before returning, keep 6 feet of distance, and wear face coverings for the first two weeks back in the home. 

Christina Moylan, Director of Public Health Emergency Preparedness

What we choose to do between now and then though, is critical. This is the time of year that we look forward to ramping up the holiday season and connecting with family through time-tested traditions. Public health experts have signaled that it cannot look the same this year. But the recommendation to stay apart does not mean that we should forgo all connection with one another. It does mean that we have to find some new and innovative ways to do so.  

Begin by choosing to heed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory not to travel for the holidays. Travel is contributing to the spread of COVID-19.   

Plan to keep Thanksgiving small and with members of your household who you live with regularly. If you return home from college, test before returning, keep 6 feet of distance, and wear face coverings for the first two weeks back in the home. If you are currently in isolation or quarantine, please do not break these for the purpose of attending a gathering, no matter how disappointing. The short-term gain will create significant long-term impacts. 

Christina Moylan

Christina Moylan, Director of Public Health Emergency Preparedness

Small festivities do not have to be bereft of loved ones or without fun. Have people drop in throughout the day virtually – take advantage of Zoom’s announcement that it is lifting its 45-minute time restrictions for Thanksgiving Day. This offers a safe alternative to broader interactions that could spread the virus, especially for family members or friends who are at risk of severe illness from COVID-19. 

Use the limitations presented by COVID-19 as an opportunity to slow down and create a holiday experience to remember. Cook your Thanksgiving meal from scratch and involve all household members. Shift the focus from eating to spending quality time with family while preparing a healthy meal. From the very young to old, everyone can have a job to do throughout the day to contribute. 

If absolutely necessary to have visitors, be creative about where you eat. The virus transmits best indoors, so move your festivities outside, even though it may be cold. Wear layers. Take blankets. Start a fire. If indoors, increase ventilation by opening windows and doors. Ask everyone to wear facing coverings when they are not eating or drinking.  

Look beyond Thanksgiving Day, too. Being diligent about your public health behaviors on Thanksgiving Day, but then attending gatherings, even small ones, with people outside of your household the remainder of the long weekend, can contribute to the spread of COVID-19. Stay vigilant about wearing face coverings, maintaining 6 feet of physical distance, and practicing good hygiene. 

The holiday season typically brings out the best in us – we look for ways to give back, donate and help others. This year add health care workers to your list. COVID-19 impacts their lives dramatically even if they are not ill with the virus themselves. Our gift to them should be staying home, keeping gatherings small and limited to our households, and doing our part to minimize the spread of the virus.  

Let’s keep our numbers low, and our spirits high!          

Sincerely,         

Christina Moylan, Ph.D.         
Director of Public Health Emergency Preparedness