Get boosted.
Get your booster as soon as you can before the holidays. It takes a week or two for your immune response to develop. The protection should stay strong for at least two months.
Rapid test.
If you are planning a big crowd, consider asking your guests take a home test before you gather. You may worry that not all variants will be detected, but rapid tests should still pick up current circulating infections, as they are variants of Omicron.
If you test negative but are still suffering from COVID-type symptoms like chills, aches and a sore throat, then it is best to stay at home. Its not just COVID we want to prevent being passed from person to person, but the Flu as well as other respiratory infections.
Travel safely.
Although it is legal now to travel without a mask, to protect yourself and your loved ones we recommend masking up on public transportation. Planes have filtration systems while they are flying, but not necessarily when they are taxiing or on the ground. Consider wearing masks on trains and buses.
Protect others.
If your party includes loved ones who are immunocompromised, elderly or unvaccinated, consider amping up your testing, and consider masking indoors, or moving activities outside.
Keep up with the news.
Although not mandated, the CDC recommends mask wearing when the COVID levels in a local area become high. Masks will also help protect against RSV and the flu.
Hand washing.
Although many people have gotten out of the habit of regular hand washing, since the worst of the pandemic, careful handwashing is a great way to stop the spread of infections.