It’s tough, but we must limit holiday gatherings in Tarrant County to stop COVID-19

As we enter the holiday season, it’s becoming all too apparent that this year will end like no other in our lifetimes.

The predicted fall surge in COVID-19 cases is upon us, making family get-togethers and holiday gatherings a great public health concern. By now, many of us have been personally affected by the disease, and we know COVID-19 is nothing to take lightly.

We know it will be hard, but we strongly encourage everyone to take great caution and consider limiting your contact with family members and others, following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.

We’ve been here before, and we were strong together, bringing down the numbers that peaked during the summer. With several vaccines on the way, we are in the homestretch of this terrible pandemic, and we simply need to continue taking the precautions that will keep us safe until we’re all able to be vaccinated.

Wearing a mask and practicing social distancing (six feet is a good measure, preferably outdoors) are the most effective ways to minimize the risk for infection. Researchers have found substantially lower infection rates in areas that observed mask mandates than those that did not.

Even a simple cloth mask provides significant protection against coronavirus, scientists have found, reducing the spread of respiratory droplets by as much as 77%.

Because of your diligence this summer, the Tarrant County economy has recovered beyond anything we could have imagined during the spring stay at home orders. Robert Kaplan, president of the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank, said earlier this year that wearing masks would be the quickest way to get the economy back on track, and we’ve seen this first-hand up to this point.

However, with case numbers exponentially increasing over the past couple of weeks, we’ve got to come together as a community and mask up to save lives, help our front-line healthcare workers and keep our economy moving in the right direction.

Everyone wants to get back to spending time with family and doing the things we love to do. While this holiday season will be tough, we know better times are coming soon.

Make the right decisions. Be COVID-19 conscious no matter where you are. Stay home if you’re sick, wear a mask when around others, observe social distancing, practice proper hygiene and have a plan to keep yourself and others well.

We’ve encouraged you before, and we’re encouraging you again: Y’all wear a mask!