A few days prior to the official start of summer, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated guidelines that list the risk of various activities that people may embark on during the warmer months, while taking the ongoing threat of COVID-19 into account.

Richmond Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing would like to go over these new guidelines, so they’re easy to understand. 

Sliding Scale of Risk

The CDC has grouped activities by the risk they bring, from lowest to highest:

  • Lowest Risk: Virtual-only activities, events, and gatherings.
  • More Risk: Smaller outdoor and in-person gatherings in which people from different households wear masks, maintain social distancing and come from the same local area.
  • Higher Risk: Medium-sized gatherings that are adapted to allow for social distancing but has attendees from outside the area.
  • Highest Risk: Large in-person gatherings where it is difficult to maintain social distancing and has a large number of people traveling from outside the area.

Reinforcing Healthy Behaviors

The CDC maintains that taking preventative measures is the best way to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. This includes staying home when appropriate, including if you’re feeling ill, if you’ve had close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 14 days.

Proper hand washing (done for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water) should be done frequently, hand sanitizer and cloth face coverings should be available, and people are discouraged from gestures like handshakes, fist bumps, and high-fives. 

Take Advantage of the Outdoors

The CDC encourages holding events outdoors as much as possible, and if they are held inside, open doors and windows when possible to increase the circulation of outdoor air as much as possible. If you’re using a fan, be sure that it’s not blowing directly from one person to another. 

To learn more about Richmond Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit http://richmond-center.facilities.centershealthcare.org/.