Doctor gives tips on how to keep your holidays COVID-free

ORLANDO, Fla. - When it comes to the festive season, people say they are not going to let COVID-19 keep them from having happy holidays in 2020.

“Gonna do a big Christmas,” said Icxia Gerena. She plans to “have a bunch of family come over still. I'm not worried too much about the COVID.”

“As far as being scared of the coronavirus, I'm not scared of it,” said Tim Barnes.

Medical professionals say frightened or not, these will be holidays like we have never seen.

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“The important advice I'd want to give is we can celebrate in as safe as possible. It will not be the same as what we've done in the past, we're still going to need to keep our guard up, don't let it down!” said Dr. Vincent Hsu, an epidemiologist.

Dr. Hsu said there were ways to stay safe. One tip is to keep gatherings small. “I would say the safest thing is just to focus on your small family group. When you're dealing with larger groups, you're going to have to be more careful.”

Dr. Hsu also suggested hosts give their guests more room this year, suggesting that you "consider additional spacing between you and other family members from out of town, consider outdoor potlucks or dinners.”

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H stressed the continued importance of masks as well, stating that "if you're not eating, wearing a mask is really the best course.”

Dr. Hsu also recommends going to family gatherings this year by car, if possible, so you can limit your exposure to other travelers.

Tune in to FOX 35 Orlando for the latest Central Florida news.