Outdoor gathering with elderly grandparents?
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Anonymous
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We live in Arizona. I want to invite my 80something year old grandparents to my house for Christmas morning. We would stay entirely outside as it will be in the 60s/70s and sunny. We have a massive outdoor table and can easily sit at opposite ends of it. We also have a very large outdoor living room with lounge chairs spaced more than 6 feet apart. It would just be my family (me, DH, 2 yo, and 4 yo). I’d like to offer some kind of food but won’t if that’s too risky. DH and I would wear masks. Our kids would not.
We have an outdoor pool bathroom that would be available for grandparents and doesn’t entail entering our house. Is it really so risky? I feel it’s Ok but my uncle is adamantly opposed and doesn’t want them to come. |
Anonymous
| Op here. Just to clarify. I want to do this. It’s not that I feel I have to. My grandparents live about 5 minutes away and would only stay for about an hour or two. |
Anonymous
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Outside visits are fine as long as you don't take your masks off. You can't eat together. You can open gifts together: hand each other gifts and when it's all done, sanitize your hands. |
Anonymous
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Don't serve food or drink. Have 2 areas to sit (not just on the other side of the table) The kids going back-n-forth I see as the only problem, and too young to understand.
If it were 4 adults only, I'd say if far enough away you don't even need masks. Stop taking a poll of other relative's opinions. Nothing good will come of that. |
Anonymous
| The no food issue is silly when most people get carry out and other stuff. Yes, its risky and not a good idea and you know it or you wouldn't be posting. |
Anonymous
Op here. This is why I’m confused. Over the summer all my friends were doing distanced, outdoor gatherings. When did the guidance on this change? |
Anonymous
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I would think outdoor, distant and mostly masked is fine. But... do your grandparents still drive? If so, no big deal, but if someone else needs to drive them windows down is a MUST and that's what might make me hesitate.
And yes, can kids respect distance too. |
Anonymous
Op here. My uncle lives with my grandparents so I feel like I have to consider his input. I’m not polling anyone else. |
Anonymous
Op here. Yes they still drive. They only live 5 minutes away. My 4 yo understands distance but my 2 yo does not. I couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t go up to them. |
Anonymous
NP. The guidance didn't change. There has never been any messaging to suggest that outdoor gatherings, with food, especially if you're not all over each other, is risky. I've been doing it with family for months. We've often been more like 2feet away unmasked, but completely outdoors. It's fine. Try to give space when you can and mask if not eating, and the risk is extremely low. And it's ok to go indoors to use the restroom, just keep a mask on at all times. You just have some hyper anxious crazies who have a very poor understanding of risk and measuring risk. The idiotic outdoor mask mandates didn't help, as those jurisdictions failed to distinguish between high trafficked busy outdoor promenades and centers, or busy pedestrian-heavy streets... and a casual walk passing someone on the sidewalk. It's led people to go to extremes - no modification, or an abstinence approach. Neither are healthy. |
Anonymous
Your uncle is correct. Do not do this. And why don’t your kids wear masks, especially around old people??? |
Anonymous
No, you don’t just have to consider his input. You should do what he wants. He is living in the same household as they are, probably doing a lot to take care of them, and you are going to endanger his health and theirs when the cdc etc is begging people not to mix households for the holidays? Do not do this. Your uncle said no. It is not ok for you to go against his wishes given the risks. |
Anonymous
Because what used to be low risk is not anymore. The viral spread is now very high, so instead of rarely encountering a carrier, your risk of encountering a carrier is much higher, and if you get food from a restaurant, the risk that anyone involved in its prep has Covid is high. They might not have symptoms and not think of getting tested - and that's something a lot of people don't understand. Viral spread is driven by asymptomatic transmission. Masks do not protect from aerosolization and surface contact transmission. No one should be going indoors unless it's really important. No one should be taken off their masks around others not from their own households, and particularly not indoors. Indoor food and drink should be banned nationwide. Dental visits should only be for emergencies. Public bathrooms also pose a problem, because they usually don't have toilet lids, and the plume created during a flush sends Covid particles from feces into the air of the bathroom. The fuzzy messaging from various public health organizations and governments is LITERALLY KILLING PEOPLE. There should be an intense Covid information campaign, where people are told to wear masks at all times when they go out, avoid indoor spaces, and avoid public bathrooms. This means no travel and no gatherings with food and drink indoors or outdoors. This also means telework and distance learning. So yes, you can see your relatives as long as they're within a non-stop driving distance. But no sharing bathrooms. No eating or drinking together. Stay masked. |
Anonymous
| I would have no problem with this. |
Anonymous
It's OP's house. She can do what she wants. |