In the News

City of Springfield Department of Health and Human Services and AMR Offer Tips for Planning A Fun, Safe and Healthy Thanksgiving Day

The City of Springfield Department of Health and Human Services and American Medical Response (AMR) want to offer some tips for families so that they can celebrate a healthy, fun and safe Thanksgiving Holiday.

As we continue to work together to mitigate the community spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus, we all must adhere and follow all of the public health and safety guidelines to help everyone stay safe and healthy during this pandemic. 

The City of Springfield Department of Health and Human Services and AMR would like to offer these tips for planning a fun and safe holiday celebration:

  • Host a Household Celebration – Rather than inviting guests to your home this holiday, opt to just celebrate Thanksgiving with members of your immediate household. 
  • Gather Virtually – In-person gatherings with family or friends from different households pose a big risk. Instead, host a Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving celebration digitally. 

If you do decide to invite guests to your holiday celebration, please be aware of the new orders and measures announced by Governor Baker to help disrupt the increasing trend of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.  In following the state’s new orders and public health measures, the City of Springfield and AMR recommends taking as many precautions as possible including: 

  • Wearing a Mask – Keep your mask on when you are not eating or drinking and try to socially distance
  • Evaluate the Risk – If you have someone living in your home that is at greater risk for contracting COVID-19, you should reconsider hosting a gathering. 
  • Limit the Number of Attendees – Governor Baker has issued a new gatherings order which limits the indoor gatherings at private residences to no more than 10 people and outdoor gatherings at private residences are limited to 25 people.  By keeping your guest list small, you allow people to maintain 6ft of social distance. 
  • Opt for Outdoors – If the weather permits, host your celebration outdoors and ask guests to observe social distancing and mask use guidelines.  Again, the new state outdoor gatherings are limited to 25 people.
  • Increase Ventilation – If you must host guests in your home, open the windows and doors or place central air and heating systems on continuous circulation.
  • Discourage Direct Contact and Encourage Handwashing – Guests should be discouraged from shaking hands or hugging and encouraged to practice frequent handwashing or hand sanitization. 
  • Limit the Sharing of Utensils – Avoid sharing from the same plate or cup.  Encourage your guests to bring their own food and drinks for members of their household. If you do decide to serve dinner, have one person be the designated server so that multiple people are not handling serving utensils.

The more of these precautions you follow, the safer your gathering will be. However, the safest measure is always to limit your gathering to just members of your immediate household. 

About American Medical Response (AMR)

American Medical Response, Inc., America’s leading provider of medical transportation, provides services in 40 states and the District of Columbia. More than 28,000 AMR paramedics, EMTs, RNs and other professionals work together to transport more than 4.8 million patients nationwide each year in critical, emergency and non-emergency situations. AMR also provides fire services through Rural Metro Fire Department, www.ruralmetrofire.com. For more information about AMR, visit www.amr.net and follow American Medical Response on Facebook @AMR_Social on Twitter and Instagram.

AMR is part of the Global Medical Response family of companies. Global Medical Response, Inc. is the industry-leading air, ground, specialty and residential fire services, and managed medical transportation organization. With more than 38,000 employees, GMR delivers compassionate, quality medical care, primarily in the areas of emergency and patient relocation services in the United States and around the world. For more information, visit www.globalmedicalresponse.com.

Back
Page last updated:  Tuesday, March 1, 2022 01:32 pm