Surgeon general pleads with Americans to keep Thanksgiving ‘small and smart’ as pandemic worsens

by Joseph Guzman | Nov. 23, 2020 | Nov. 23, 2020

getty: U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams

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“I’m asking Americans, I’m begging you, hold on just a little bit longer. Keep Thanksgiving and the celebration small and smart this year,” Adams said during an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Adams was asked about how the White House can justify plans to hold holiday parties indoors as the CDC is advising Americans to stay home and avoid indoor gatherings.
He said the public health guidelines apply to everyone.

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams is pleading with Americans to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines over the Thanksgiving holiday as the country is experiencing an alarming surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations.

During an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Adams implored Americans to avoid holding large holiday gatherings as the U.S. is at a “dire point” in the COVID-19 pandemic.

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“I want the American people to know that we are at a dire point in our fight with this virus by any measure: cases, positivity, hospitalizations, deaths. We’re seeing more Americans negatively impacted than ever before,” Adams said before touting the recent advances of a safe and effective vaccine.

“I’m asking Americans, I’m begging you, hold on just a little bit longer. Keep Thanksgiving and the celebration small and smart this year.”

Public health experts worry Thanksgiving will accelerate the pandemic as people gather with friends and family across the country.

The CDC last week issued guidance recommending people avoid traveling to see friends and family for the Thanksgiving holiday in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. The health agency says the holiday should be spent only with people living in the same household for at least 14 days and celebrations should be held outdoors if possible.

Adams was asked about how the White House can justify plans to hold holiday parties indoors as the CDC is advising Americans to stay home and avoid indoor gatherings.

Adams said the public health guidelines apply to everyone.

“We want everyone to understand that these holiday celebrations can be superspreader events, so we want them to be smart and we want them to be as small as possible,” he said. “These apply to the White House, they apply to the American people, they apply to everyone.”

.@ABC NEWS EXCLUSIVE interview with @Surgeon_General Dr. Jerome Adams as he discusses the latest COVID-19 vaccine information.@CeciliaVega https://t.co/rkvg3CoHuE pic.twitter.com/N5SOWJwBFm

— Good Morning America (@GMA) November 23, 2020