ANNA, Ill. (WSIL) -- With COVID-19 cases on the rise across the Southern Illinois region one local health department is providing tips that could help you and your family members during the holidays.
News 3 spoke with a health official in Anna about how you can safely spend time with family and possibly help slow down the spread of the virus.
Shawnna Rhine from the Southern Seven Health Department said the reason she is expecting a spike around the holiday is because the S7HD has had a spike since the beginning of the pandemic every holiday so far.
Justin Bonner is sitting in his vehicle in the Anna Kroger parking lot waiting for his wife to come out. While he waits, he tells News 3, he and family usually get together for holidays and this Thanksgiving will be no different even through we are in the middle of a pandemic.
"I think just using common sense, you know, everybody, you know, before they come sanitize your hands. If you feel like you should wear a mask, if somebody doesn't feel well, yeah they should stay home. But nothing real different for us," said Bonner.
Public Information Officer Shawnna Rhine from the Southern Seven Health Department said the health department is concerned for this reason, she said families are wanting to gather as the Bonner's but said, they must do it safely. Rhine provides a couple tips such as self-isolating.
"If you're not showing any symptoms at all, quarantining for at least 14 days is a good thing to do. And, then if you're going to be traveling, be careful how you're traveling. Try and avoid planes, and other forms of transportation where there might be a lot of people on-board," said PIO Rhine.
Another tip, that many want not think of, postpone your holiday to another time of the year all ideas to try and reduce the spread of the virus. And after following these and the standard guidelines put in place by the IDPH, the health department still won't be able to tell how each area was affected.
"Especially at the start of the new year because when people start gathering at the holidays, we won't see exactly how that's affecting us until probably the first part of January," said Rhine.
