Michael Osterholm, a member of President-elect Joe Biden’s Covid-19 advisory board has warned Americans not to gather for Christmas festivities after cases across the country skyrocketed following holiday travel over the Thanksgiving weekend. Osterholm’s remarks come the day after the United States recorded its highest daily death toll yet: At least 3,055 people died of Covid-19 yesterday, the highest number since April.Â
“At this point, no gatherings outside your immediate family that are in a sense podded together. What I mean by that is that the people who you have been with who haven’t had outside exposures. So if your son and daughter are coming home from college, they’re not part of your pod. Either they quarantine for 10-14 days, or they’re not part of what happens in the holidays,†he said.
He added: “Don’t get together with neighbors. No Christmas parties. There is not a safe Christmas party in this country right now unless everybody for the previous 10-14 days were podded.â€
Osterholm cautioned that “the next three to six weeks at minimum, longer, are our COVID weeks” and urged Americans to stay home to stop the virus from spreading and killing more vulnerable members of the population.
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
“We just have to get through this. Please, save a life, particularly the ones you love. And don’t get together for these holiday parties, holiday events. That’s the very best thing you can do to love someone today,†he said.
You can watch his remarks in the video below.
"I don't care if I'm accused of being the Grinch that stole Christmas, but … I want you to be around for next Christmas," Biden's Covid-19 advisory board's Michael Osterholm says. "No Christmas parties. There is not a safe Christmas party in this country right now" pic.twitter.com/5hom2UR5yF
— CNN This Morning (@CNNThisMorning) December 10, 2020
Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.
