Dr. Henry Walke, the CDC’s Director of the Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, said the agency is recommending against travel during the Thanksgiving holiday.
During a press conference on Thursday, he warned that by going to see your family, you could be killing them.
Walke, who spent two years working as a family practitioner in rural Alaska, said “The tragedy that could happen is that one of your family members is coming to this family gathering and they could end up severely ill, hospitalized or dying. And we don’t want that to happen.”
“These times are tough, it’s been a long outbreak, almost 11 months, and we understand people are tired,” Walke said.
“We understand that people want to see their family and relatives and do it as they’ve always done it. But this year we’re asking them to limit their travel.”
Walke said those who decide to travel for the holiday should do so “as safely as possible by following the same recommendations for everyday living,” which is wearing a mask, staying six feet apart and washing hands frequently.
