2021 Holidays: Tools for Safety

Last year, federal and state health officials simply asked people not to gather for the holidays. This year there are new tools to fight the spread of the virus

At-home rapid antigen COVID tests are available in drugstores and online. Experts say a same-day rapid antigen test isn’t great for diagnosis, but is good for answering the question: Are you contagious today? If the result is positive, isolate.
Vaccination and booster shots, taken in time for immunity to build over 10 or 14 days.
Communication. Hosts should communicate the ground rules. They ask guests to know if they’re vaccinated.

Still useful:

Masks: Wear them around the vulnerable and when holiday shopping.
Ventilation. Open windows and doors when possible. If the weather’s okay, gather outside.
For gathering inside, use portable HEPA filters. In studies, two placed running near an infected person reduced the amount of virus in the room by more than half.

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