Thanksgiving Safety Tips 2020

table with fall decor and silverware

Thanksgiving Safety Tips 2020

Turkey Day is Here! It’s time to be thankful and to continue to stay safe. This year has been quite unusual as it has impacted the whole world. Never before have we felt the impact of how the planet earth is truly the home for all and what happens on one part of our world can impact us as a whole. However, it has also revealed the incredible capacity of our communities to pull together and do our best to prevail. As we approach Thanksgiving, it’s time to reflect on why we have so many reasons to be thankful this year. After all, we’ve made it this far and we have survived! As we are all in this together, let’s do our best to stay safe. Please keep in mind the following Thanksgiving Safety Tips 2020 to enjoy the holiday the safest way possible.

man carving a turkey for his family dinner

CDC Recommended Thanksgiving Safety Tips 2020

This year, many have been frustrated due to social isolation. It is because of this that we are all truly looking forward to our Thanksgiving gatherings to spend those memorable moments with our beloved friends and family. The CDC is recommending safety tips to ensure that we safeguard our most vulnerable loved ones to keep them safe.

elderly couple on a video call
  • Virtual celebrations are recommended for our most vulnerable family members
  • In-person celebrations should take place with the members of your direct household.
  • People who are not of the direct household should be considered to pose a risk.
  • Individuals coming from a community with a high level of COVID-19 will pose a higher risk.
  • The travel factor should be considered to alter the amount of risk.
  • Indoor gatherings will pose a higher risk than outdoor ones.
  • Larger groups tend to pose a higher risk than smaller ones.
  • Individuals of different households are recommended to “stay 6 feet (2 arm lengths) apart, wear masks, wash hands, and follow state, local, territorial, or tribal health and safety laws, rules, and regulations.”
  • Please keep in mind that the behavior of each individual will ultimately post a lower or higher risk depending on whether or not they are adhering to safety measures such as mask-wearing, social distancing, proper handwashing & the use of drugs or alcohol.
  • If you currently have been diagnosed, have been exposed within the last 14 days, have symptoms, or are waiting for COVID-19 viral results, please consider participating during the Thanksgiving celebration by virtual means.

Thanksgiving Travel Safety Tips 2020

This year the American Automobile Association (AAA), anticipates that for the first time since 2008, fewer US citizens will be traveling, in fact a potential 10% drop due to the pandemic & unemployment rate. However, many will still seize this opportunity to visit family members. For all who will be traveling, please keep in mind the following Thanksgiving Safety Travel Tips:

  • Plan ahead and find out about state and local restrictions as they will vary. See the AAA’s COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Map .
  • Try to pack water and snacks to reduce the stops along the route, to help reduce the risk of exposure.
  • Check the weather along your route, make sure to subscribe to a service that can provide updates, and drive around storms never through.
  • Make sure everyone in the car is wearing their seat belts.
  • Follow all proper child seat and booster seat guidelines according to their age, height and weight.
  • Don’t drink and drive.
  • Don’t drive if you are extremely tired, it is better if you stop and rest for a bit, or have one of your companions take the wheel while you rest.
  • Do not text while you are driving, it is deadly and illegal.
  • Respect the speed limit, road signs, and general rules of the road.
  • Keep your distance from other vehicles.
  • Make sure your windshield is clean, and headlights, taillights, and signal lights are all working properly.
  • Turn your headlights on at dusk, or if it is raining.
man securing child into a car seat

Thanksgiving Cooking Safety Tips

Thanksgiving Safety Tips are particularly important to keep in mind when cooking. For those of you hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, safety should be your number one priority, there are many to consider:

Common Sense Food Safety Tips

  • Only people in good health illness-free should prepare the meal as viruses can spread to the guests.
  • Wash your hands before any food preparation.
  • Wash your cutting boards, dishes, utensils, countertops & stove thoroughly before and after food preparation.
  • Keep in mind any food allergies that guests may have when selecting the recipes.
  • Separate raw meat from other foods.
  • Throw away any perishable foods that have been out at room temperature for 2 hours or more.
  • Store leftovers safely by labeling containers with the contents and dates.
raw turkey and vegetables

Turkey Safety

This is the star of the evening, and therefore it should be handled with extreme care when you are preparing it.

  • If you are buying a fresh turkey, wait until the last possible moment and certainly no more than 2 days before cooking it, keep it in the refrigerator at a 40°F or less.
  • If your turkey is frozen, the USDA recommends you thaw it in the fridge, alternately you could use cold water or the microwave if you are running short on time.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water before handling any food to prevent the spread of infection and other illnesses.
  • Do not wash the turkey, this only serves to spread viruses and bacteria onto kitchen surfaces.
  • Keep the uncooked turkey separated from other foods to avoid contamination.
  • Cook the turkey until it reaches a temperature of 165°F, fully cooking the bird is the only way to ensure any bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses has been eliminated.

Cooking Safety

Sadly, Thanksgiving is the leading day for home cooking fires. The good news is that with a little preparation and some simple Thanksgiving Safety Tips as guidelines, these can easily be avoided.

  • Avoid wearing loose-fitting clothing and long dangling sleeves when cooking, to avoid your clothing catching fire.
  • Never leave the stove unattended.
  • Keep children and pets at least 3 feet away from the stove or oven as steam or splashing from hot liquids can cause severe burns.
  • Keep children away from knives and other sharp kitchen utensils.
  • Make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly.
  • Keep items like kitchen towels, pot holders, oven mitts, and wooden utensils away from heat sources as they could catch fire.
  • Keep your kitchen clean, grease build-up can easily start a fire.
  • Before going to bed check the oven and stove top to ensure everything is turned off.
  • Store leftovers properly in the fridge.
cooked turkey in an oven

Have a Safe & Blessed Thanksgiving Weekend From All of Us!

smiling couple at a dinner table

Altus and its staff are thankful for our communities, for demonstrating that together we can do anything; we are honored and humbled for the trust and loyalty you have shown us, and we are thankful for the opportunity to be here to help you and your loved ones during a medical emergency.

We want everyone to have a happy and most of all safe Thanksgiving this year, so please follow and share our Thanksgiving safety tips with others. After all, llness and injury prevention is always the best policy.

It’s important to keep these Thanksgiving Safety Tips 2020 to help prevent illnesses and accidents from happening. However, it’s good to always have a plan in case that they do occur. Please keep in mind that at Altus we are safe and open 24 hours throughout the Thanksgiving Holiday. If you happen to seriously injure yourself or someone that’s with you gets hurt or get ill, we offer free medical screening, accept Medicare and have COVID-19 testing.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving Weekend from all of us at Altus Emergency Centers!

Altus Emergency Room Baytown

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