During the lockdown, it may be hard for many of you to be able to survive during the lockdown. Now you’re probably not dying, but I’d be willing to bet that you’re dying of boredom. The lockdown has forced everyone into their homes without much notice, and doesn’t allow us to meet in groups of more than 5. To add to that, we don’t have March Madness, the NBA Finals, or much else to watch on TV, so what do we do? At this point, your family has probably cancelled whatever Easter gathering you had in mind… However, I’m here to inform you about a way that could allow you to still see your family on Easter. The goal of my project here is to help anyone that reads this by showing them precautions they can take to have a fun and safe Easter dinner without any risk. Of course it will be a bit out of the ordinary, and will be a tad bit odd, if being with your family on Easter is important, you might want to try my plan.
You’ll need:
Food (This all depends on what you and your family prefer)
Plastic Forks
Plastic Knives
Plastic Spoons
Surgical/Disposable Masks
Disposable Gloves
Chairs (Enough for whomever may be coming)
An Available/Open Area Outside
Garbage Bags
The first step should obviously be introducing this idea to your family. I would recommend asking through a text, a call, or over social media. Get in touch with a few of your relatives and let them know that you’d like to have an Easter gathering. Schedule the gathering preferably 14 days after you decide to ask your family in order to allow for your safety and for time to throw everything together. During this time, make sure to tell your family or others that in order to attend, they must practice social distancing during those 14 days. After explaining these steps to them, they will hopefully be up for attending, but some people will most likely steer clear of the idea. If they do, there’s no way to force them to come obviously, but reassuring them that they are/will be safe is a good idea, and will most likely persuade them to come. While persuading them, use facts that I will discuss later on as your reasoning. If you follow these steps exactly, your Easter dinner will be completely safe!
The second step is to make sure none of the invited guests are sick yet, and to eliminate the possibility of anyone else getting sick. The COVID-19 Virus is said to show up in someone after 2-14 days, “with a median of 5 days” according to “hopkinsmedicine.org.” I can verify this, as every person that I’ve seen with the virus has said they’d started feeling sick after 4-7 days. Ask any of your guests beforehand if they’ve experienced any early symptoms such as coughing, sore throat, or if they’ve felt alright in general. If they have felt alright, they should be okay, as long as you take extra precautions while you’re all together. These precautions include avoiding coughing, sneezing, touching or any other bodily functions that could allow for the spread of germs. So as basically, as Edna Mode in the “Incredibles” said: “No touching!” If anyone asks you why you’re taking these precautions, inform them of the 2-14 day timeframe that the coronavirus takes to show symptoms, and inform them that they can get sick from other people’s bodily fluids (which is how the virus is passed on). According to the CDC, “The virus is thought to spread mainly between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet) through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It also may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.”
For your third step, have someone (if not yourself), who’s practiced social distancing for over 14 days get supplies and food from places like Walmart or any local stores that offer pickup for things. Order any kind of food you’d like to have at your gathering, along with plastic silverware, surgical gloves, and face masks. The food items should be kept sort of simple, with maybe a Ham, some potatoes, corn, and maybe a casserole or something, as those require a small amount of ingredients compared to a huge easter feast. During a pandemic, you should settle for whatever is doable. After pickup, these items should all be wiped down using some sort of disinfectant wipes or cleaning supplies, as the virus can live on these surfaces. It would be best that one person prepares the food as well, in order to prevent several people making several smaller dishes. Use surgical gloves and a mask if you’re cooking on your own; however, If you’re not cooking the food yourself, ask the person cooking the food to use the same things when cooking. This reduces the risk of the spread of any possible germs. If you do not wish to cook or buy ingredients, you should discuss what needs to be done with people who will, and explain to them the precautions they must take to keep everyone safe.
The fourth step is to set up and execute the meal. Make sure to have your meal outside, and either purchase, borrow, or set up some chairs to sit on. Being outside reduces the spread of any kind of germs, and allows for you to be a good distance from your family, while still being able to get together. Set chairs 6 feet apart and tell everyone to grab a facemask when they arrive, and have the meal pre-portioned on paper plates. Have extras available if people would like seconds. Provide everyone with plastic silverware, and keep any on hand in case someone needs extras. When finished, make sure to provide a garbage bag or two for everyone to throw their masks and trash. During the entire time, even if someone has coronavirus (which is very unlikely if they’re there), the odds of you or anyone else contracting it are extremely slim.
Cited Sources:
Maragakis, L. L. (n.d.). I’ve been diagnosed with the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19. What should I expect? Retrieved April 10, 2020, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/diagnosed-with-covid-19-what-to-expect
“What You Need To Know About Corona Virus (COVID-19).” Https://Www.cdc.gov/Coronavirus/2019-Ncov, http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/2019-ncov-factsheet.pdf.
David, and Masumoto. “There’s Risk in Talking Politics over Dinner, but the Rewards Might Be Worth It.” Fresnobee, The Fresno Bee, 27 Dec. 2019, http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/david-mas-masumoto/article238702608.html.
Saltzman, M. (2019, September 23). How to Video Chat Using FaceTime on Your Apple Device. Retrieved May 3, 2020, from https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2019/how-to-facetime.html
Álvarez, J. A., & County of San Diego Communications Office. (2020, March 14). Social Distancing, Visiting Restrictions Established; Mass Gatherings Banned; 5 More Positive COVID-19 Cases Reported Locally. Retrieved May 3, 2020, from https://www.countynewscenter.com/social-distancing-visiting-restrictions-established-mass-gatherings-banned-5-more-positive-covid-19-cases-reported-locally/
RIPE Magazine | Volume 1 