Making Holidays Safe

posted on Tuesday, November 3, 2020

The holidays are quickly approaching and with that in mind we would like to offer a few suggestions along with resources to help keep you safe while connecting with your loved ones this year.

We Must Continue to be Vigilant.

While being eight months into this pandemic is tiring, now is not the time to loosen any restrictions or protocols you have set in place. Black Hawk County's current COVID-19 status is set to HIGH with numbers on the rise. Case numbers for our county can be found here. We will continue to hold true to the precautions we worked hard to instill within our organization and ask that you help us do the same for the safety of our persons served, our staff, and our community.
 

Risk Levels to Keep in Mind.

If you do make plans to gather, do so with attendees who are also strict about pandemic protocols - social distancing, mask wearing, handwashing, and people who would be comfortable carrying out these precautions during a holiday gathering as well. Below are a few scenarios along with their risk levels to consider before gathering.

• Virtual celebrations/gathering virtually - low risk, talk to your loved one's program manager to help connect you virtually!

• Small gatherings with those in your household - low risk

• Duration of the gathering - long lasting gatherings pose a higher risk for those involved

• Number of people gathering - the size of the gathering should be determined based on the ability to reduce or limit contact between attendees, the more people gathering the higher risk

• Locations attendees are traveling from - gatherings with attendees from within the same community is a moderate risk but those traveling to meet increases the risks

Location Availability Options.

As the weather gets colder, meeting outside can be challenging along with finding an indoor space large enough for wide open spaces to adhere to physical distancing guidelines. We would like to offer the following list of locations with space available for you and your families to meet safely this holiday season. We ask that if you do meet, consider limiting the number of attendees, practice social distancing and wear masks.

*This list is a list of available spaces as of 11/3, building availability may change so please call first.

• Conference Rooms Available at EPI - Waterloo, talk to your team or manager to secure this space

• Community Center - Cedar Falls, (319) 553-6925 or cfcommunitycenter@gmail.com 

• Hartman Reserve Nature Center - Cedar Falls, (319) 277-2187 or gcallaway@co.black-hawk.ia.us

• Waterloo Senior Center - Waterloo, (319) 235-1919

• Mill Race Meeting Center - Cedar Falls, (319) 553-6921 or hello@millraceco.com

• Hearst Center for the Arts - Cedar Falls, (319) 273-8641 or sheri.huber-otting@cedarfalls.com

We believe it is important that while securing a location you ask questions about the facility's COVID-19 safety guidelines to make sure they align with yours as well.

Planning to Host or Attend a Holiday Gathering?

When planning or considering a holiday gathering for your family, make sure to consider the following.

• Remind guests to stay home if they are sick

• Consider keeping a list of guests who attended for potential contract tracing needs

• Encourage social distancing

• Wear masks, especially when in doors

• Consider providing masks for guests

• Clean hands often and offer opportunities for guests to do so as well

• Limit contact with commonly touched surfaces and sanitize before and after the event

• Limit the number of people handling or serving food

It's easy to let your guard down with family members you trust, but if you continue to keep your precautions in place you will be keeping yourself and those you love safe through the holidays. For more tips like these visit the CDC website