Whatcom guide to gathering when it’s OK: From bring-your-own food to staying outside
Been wondering whether it’s safe to get together with friends again as Whatcom County inches toward reopening under Gov. Jay Inslee’s phased Safe Start plan?
The short answer is there are risks to doing so.
The governor’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy plan ended at midnight on Sunday, May 31, as the focus shifts to reopening on a county-by-county basis. Whatcom County remains in Phase 1, but the county plans to apply this week to move into Phase 2, which would allow for social gatherings — inside or outside — with no more than five people from outside your household.
The COVID-19 illness is believed to spread person to person primarily through respiratory droplets.
Whatcom County public health officials have said there are fewer chances to spread the virus that causes the illness to others when people don’t interact with those they don’t live with.
“This is the easiest way to stop the virus, and we’ve seen that it works in Whatcom County,” the Whatcom County Health Department said in a news release on May 23, before the governor’s revised plans.
Whatcom County residents getting together with friends and family they don’t live with has led to a recent surge in cases traced to formal work settings as well as informal Mother’s Day gatherings where people were within 6 feet of each other for more than 15 minutes, the Whatcom County Health Department has said.
People shared food, food preparation spaces and bathrooms, according to the Health Department.
It’s not the first time that there’s been an increase because people weren’t following physical distancing. A surge in cases at the end April was attributed in part to people getting together in small gatherings with those outside of their households.
As you consider getting together with others outside your household, the Health Department cautioned that going out into public means you could get infected and you could infect others. Risks can be reduced but they still will be there, officials said.
And don’t underestimate COVID-19, the Health Department added. It has killed at least 102,700 people in the U.S., more than 1,100 of them in Washington state, according to the Johns Hopkins University and Washington state Department of Health data.
With all that said, here are the steps the Health Department said Whatcom County residents should take when reuniting with friends and family, in a limited way, to reduce the risk of transmitting the new coronavirus to others.
▪ Hang out with the same people. Form a small and consistent group of people who don’t mingle with others, the Health Department advised.
▪ Hope for warm sunny weather. Spending time together outside is better than doing so inside. That’s because being indoors with low ventilation allows the virus to spread more easily. Don’t go to busy places, especially if they’re inside. Don’t spend time in each other’s homes.
▪ Stay at least 6 feet away from others. Set up tables and chairs so they’re that far apart.
▪ Don’t share food with people who don’t live in the same household. That means bring your own food, plates, utensils and cups to a gathering.
▪ Wear a cloth face covering if you’re going to be within 6 feet of someone who doesn’t live in the same home with you to reduce the chances of spreading the virus to others.
▪ Wash hands frequently, or use hand sanitizer, and don’t touch your face or other surfaces.
▪ Frequently clean and sanitize surfaces that are touched often, such as door knobs.
▪ Keep a log of where you’ve gone and who you have been with to help the Health Department track illnesses and prevent an outbreak.
Whatcom County residents will be able to have small social gatherings inside or outside once the county receives approval to move to Phase 2. When and where such gatherings will be allowed was corrected on June 1, 2020.
This story was originally published June 1, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
