Apparently this year, the best way to spread holiday cheer is staying far away from your family, instead of near.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control released Thanksgiving coronavirus guidelines last week that strongly advise against virtually everything that makes the holiday special.
The guidelines recommend not drinking alcohol because it “make[s] it more difficult to practice COVID-19 safety measures,” encourage to “avoid singing” and even suggest to “keep music levels down” so no one has to “shout or speak loudly,” which they say could increase the risk of transmission.
While these suggestions are available to those who plan to celebrate the holiday in a semi-normal fashion, the CDC would prefer you skip the celebrations altogether.
“Celebrating virtually…poses the lowest risk for spread,” the guidelines state.
Social media was flooded with reactions from tons of users unhappy with the recommendations who still plan to celebrate Thanksgiving.
One of the most notable to speak out was White House Coronavirus Task Force member Dr. Scott Atlas.
“This kind of isolation is a tragedy of the elderly who are now being told ‘don’t see your family at Thanksgiving.’ For many people, this is their final Thanksgiving, believe it or no,” he said in a Fox News interview.
“We have to have a policy…which is a whole person policy. It’s not just about stopping cases of Covid,” he continued.
A number of Democrat-run cities across America have taken it so far as to cancel the holiday all together.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, issued a lockdown to go in effect Friday, demanding home gatherings be limited to just “household members.”
California Gov. Newsom also implemented strict guidelines, mandating all celebrations to be held outside.