MISSOULA, Mont. – The countdown to Christmas is almost over, and many locals are ready to spend time with their families during the holidays as we approach the new year.
Whether you’re traveling this year visiting family, heading out on vacation, or staying home and inviting loved ones to Christmas dinner, health officials like Dr. Willie Underwood, a member of the American Medical Association board of trustees, are encouraging safe celebrations as we enjoy those precious moments.
Dr. Underwood says as we gather together that getting fully vaccinated, wearing masks, and social distancing are all things we can do to make sure the people who matter the most to us can stay COVID-free this holiday season.
“These are opportunities to spread this virus, and I’m not saying we shouldn’t do those things, because we should. Those things bring joy to us. This is an opportunity for us to be around our families and be around our friends. Because now we see people out, and you haven’t seen them in a long time, you want to be able to hug them and have those loving conversations with them,” said Dr. Underwood.
While no cases of the latest variant have been seen in Montana just yet, unfortunately in terms of holiday gatherings, this year might resemble the same holiday season of 2020.
With the omicron variant detected in at least 45 states in the U.S. right now, COVID precautions are more important than ever.
If you’re vaccinated and boosted, health officials say you have a much lower chance of becoming seriously ill or hospitalized from COVID. If you’re not vaccinated yet, they say you should be masking and testing regularly as well.
