It’s something you probably haven’t thought of, but that you need to watch out for.
Immunologist Professor Luke O’Neill has urged people not to “pass the gravy boat” to each other while eating Christmas dinner this year.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, O’Neill said that there are ways to have a safe Christmas, insisting that children should only hug their grandparents outside, with both parties wearing a mask.
To avoid potentially spreading Covid-19 to older people, he said that people should preferably spend as little time as possible with those who are potentially vulnerable.
Speaking of other Christmas traditions that you may be used to, O’Neill said that there are things that just aren’t safe to do this year.
He said: “You can’t be having 10 hours in a stuffy room together playing family games.”
He also stressed that ventilation is key, and said to “Stick grandpa by the window and have a good breeze blowing through, and this will really decrease the risk, so it is possible to have a Christmas together”.
People are also being advised to bring their own dinnerware to Christmas dinner, while one single person should do all the serving to keep numbers down in the kitchen.
An announcement is expected to be made at the end of the week detailing how Ireland plans to exit Level 5 of the government’s Living with Covid plan, with the country currently due to exit Level 5 next Tuesday (1 December).
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