Poll Shows 65 Percent of Thanksgiving Hosts Do Not Require COVID Vaccine, Masks on Guests

A new Hill-HarrisX poll found that the majority of Thanksgiving hosts will not require guests to have the COVID vaccine or wear masks on their dinners.

Sixty-five percent of Thanksgiving hosts are okay with guests not having received the COVID vaccine or wearing masks, while only 11 percent require both, according to The Hill report. In addition, 21 percent say that they will be demanding guests to be vaccinated, and four percent say that they will require masks at gathering.

The poll also showed that 79 percent will be spending Thanksgiving with family or another group of people, while 13 percent said they don't plan to be with others for the holiday.

A partisan divide was also noted in the poll, with 78 percent of Republicans saying neither vaccine nor masks are required in their Thanksgiving dinners, while 47 percent of Democrats said the same.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, advised that Americans should be very careful when it comes to attending Thanksgiving gatherings with those who are unvaccinated, according to a Breitbart News report.

Fauci said to get vaccinated so people can enjoy the holidays very easily.

Physicians on Hosting Thanksgiving Dinners

Meanwhile, a physician warned that if you are unvaccinated and plan to meet with others, you are putting yourself at risk, even if everyone else is vaccinated, according to a Fox 5 San Diego News report.

Dr. Jyotu Sandhu advises wearing a mask indoors and making sure that there's plenty of ventilation inside or just moving the celebrations outdoors. Sandhu said that vaccinated people can pass the virus on unvaccinated, not even knowing that they have it.

Dr. Michelle Barron, senior medical director of infection prevention and control for the University of Colorado Health, said to have an honest conversation with guests and decide whether or not that is something that will dictate who comes or who doesn't come, according to a News 10 report.

Barron said hosts can ask guests if they have no symptoms, citing the availability of home tests. Air purifiers should also help with air circulation, according to experts.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a few guidelines for people to enjoy Thanksgiving and holidays this year.

The CDC recommends wearing a mask in public indoor settings for those unvaccinated, while people who are vaccinated should wear a mask in places of high risk of COVID spread, according to another News 10 report.

Thanksgiving Amid COVID

Two-thirds of Americans are planning to celebrate Thanksgiving with about as many people as they did before the pandemic.

The Transportation Security Administration is seeing as much volume of people as in the same period in 2019, according to The Washington Post report.

The White House coronavirus response coordinator, Jeffrey Zients, said he was "optimistic" about this year's Thanksgiving. Zients noted that he has heard from many families that they can now reunite due to the protection of COVID vaccines.

Meanwhile, infections are rising in about every state, specifically in the Upper Midwest. Experts noted that the increase in infections could be attributed to the colder weather, which drives people indoors.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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