CDC issues new guidance for New Year’s Eve celebrations

(KYMA, KECY/NBC News) - It’s almost time to say goodbye to 2020, but with more than 19 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S., New Year’s Eve isn’t reason to discard precautionary measures. If anything, says Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University, it’s a night that warrants heightened awareness.

In an effort to keep people safe this upcoming holiday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines outlining low-risk ways to ring in 2021 — and warning against those that are most dangerous. “The safest way to celebrate the new year is to celebrate at home with the people who live with you or virtually with friends and family,” the CDC’s guidance reads. “Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others.”