OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Labor Day marks the ending to the hottest season of the year and prepares us for the fall. Usually the long weekend is celebrated with friends, family and fun activities, but like many other occasions this year, COVID-19 has forced people to change their plans.
John Cromwell and Sharlene Cromwell not only had to cancel a cruise, but may also miss out on meeting their newest grandchild because of the safety precautions they are taking.
“It’s up in the air as to whether we’ll go and risk the exposure to the newborn,” John Cromwell said. “It’s inconvenient but it’s a precaution I think everyone should be taking.”
Dr. David Quimby, an infectious diseases physician at CHI, says the best way to ensure safety this weekend is to not gather with anyone outside your quarantine bubble. But he does understand that people are growing tired of the virus.
“There is a true thing called COVID fatigue, people are tired of it. We see it in just behaviors and we also see it in the number of tests being performed going down,” Quimby says.
Although people may feel COVID fatigue Quimby says it’s still important to remember that the virus is still here.
If you do have the itch to still celebrate Labor Day with more than just your immediate quarantine crew, it’s advised to do so outside.
“If there are going to be large gatherings, which is very much not recommended, have them as outside and as socially distanced as possible,” Quimby says.
Quimby says that being outside allows for more space to socially distance as well as better air circulation to limit the possibility of virus transmission. He says that while masks are important to wear, masks alone are not going to eliminate the spread completely.
“Masks are great but they do not take the place of not having a gathering or not distancing,” Quimby says. “Ideally, it’s like an additive thing for things you can’t avoid.”
Another thing to remember is that with the coronavirus, you can’t just think of yourself.
“You’re not one person on an island, you’re part of a society. Even a decision it’s okay for you might not be good for society as a whole and could have unintended consequences,” Quimby says.