Here’s What Experts Are Saying About COVID Safety On Labor Day

While the coronavirus vaccine has given the impression that the pandemic days are long gone, COVID-19 has spiked to levels not seen since January and experts are now recommending Americans to reassess safety risks as they get ready to see friends and family on Monday’s Labor Day.

From mask wearing to rearranging family plans, here's what health experts are saying about staying safe as the nation heads into their holiday celebration honoring American workers on the first Monday of September.

Mask Up

Vaccinated or not, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention is recommending everyone to wear masks indoors as the highly-contagious Delta variant continues to pose a high risk.

If gatherings are outside but in crowded places where social distancing becomes a challenge, mask wearing is also recommended by the CDC.

Rachel Graham, assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told CNBC that risks are always higher when around large groups of people.

“I would urge people to err on the side of caution as far as masking when you’re indoors,” Graham said. “The more people you’re around, the less sure you can be about whether or not everyone’s going to be safe.”

Get Outside

Outdoor gatherings pose the lowest level of transimission and often allows people to social distance more easily, the CDC says.

Instead of a celebratory Labor Day meal indoors, have a picnic in the backyard or at a local park. Activities like walks or outdoor barbecues are also low risk options that allow people to gather in a safer way.

More importanly is that everyone is on the same page. Events where everyone is vaccinated and following the same precautions are likely to be much safer. Reassess who will be part of the Labor Day gathering and make sure to talk to friends and family before to establish a common ground on COVID-19 safety measures at the event.

The CDC also recommends maintaining a healthy environment by keeping a hand sanitizer handy to keep hands clean, frequently wiping down commonly used surfaces and restraining from sharing things like cups, plates and other utensils.

Other Recommendations

Though COVID safety measures like social distancing and mask wearing help lower transmission, unvaccinated people should be even more cautious as their risk of infection remains extremely high.

A recent study by the CDC revealed that unvaccinated people are 29 times more likely to be hospitalized for severe COVID-19 than those who are fully vaccinated.

Leana Wen, emergency physician and visiting professor of health policy and management at George Washington University, told CNN that “unvaccinated people should take every precaution they did last year at this time, if not more.”

“They are probably at higher risk this Labor Day compared to last year, because of the more contagious Delta variant that's dominant in the United States, the high level of Covid-19 in many parts of the country, and the behavior of many people who have let down their guard,” Wen said.

Recently, the CDC has advised unvaccinated people to refrain from travelling altogether.