Throughout 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a far-reaching impact on the world.While millions around the world went against the recommendations of the CDC and Dr. Anthony Fauci by deciding to travel for Thanksgiving, many have seen their own holiday plans affected in some way or another by the epidemic.
There were still people who decided to stay home for Thanksgiving due to the worldwide epidemic, and now, the question remains: How will this affect plans for Christmas? Will millions travel for December 25th like they did for Thanksgiving this year? And, if so, will this lead to an even bigger spike?
Dr. Fauci has stated recently that this could definitely be the case, as the veteran physician said in an interview with John Berman of CNN, “My concerns…are the same thing of the concerns that I had about Thanksgiving, only this may be even more compounded because it’s a longer holiday.” Fauci went further by stressing the importance of taking guidelines put forth by medical experts seriously during the holiday season, saying, “We’re at a very critical time in this country right now. We’ve got to not walk away from the facts and the data. This is tough going for all of us.
Fauci, however, isn’t the only medical expert who has stressed the importance of avoiding huge gatherings this holiday. A medical expert for CNN, Dr. Leana Wen, while talking to Fox News, said that people should “absolutely not gather indoors” to celebrate Christmas with those outside members of their immediate family Additionally, Wen expressed concern about the high numbers America has been experiencing in relation to cases and deaths, saying, “Where are patients going to be at this point? I’m also deeply concerned about deaths going up. At some point, we’re going to be surpassing 3,000 deaths per day, maybe even 4,000 deaths per day.”
COVID-19 has already affected the holiday season in more ways than one. Aside from Black Friday, which, according to NBC News, saw people shopping more conservatively and retail stores deciding to open at 5 in the morning on Friday rather than on Thanksgiving Day, changes have already come to Christmas itself, despite the holiday still being weeks away. Pictures with Santa Claus have been more socially-distanced this year. Despite the jolly, white-bearded symbol of Christmas being declared immune to COVID by Dr. Fauci, photo-ops at the mall have had kids standing 6 feet away from Saint Nick’s chair, rather than on his lap.
With everything that has been happening lately, it is abundantly clear that this Christmas will certainly be looking very different, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still find ways to make it work.
