The following Vermont Department of Health statement was printed on the Berlin Front Porch Forum Tuesday, Nov. 24:

Keep it small and local this Thanksgiving

We know how hard it is to stay home for Thanksgiving this year, apart from family and friends we usually celebrate with. But as cases of COVID-19 surge here in Vermont, we need to do everything we can to stop the spread.

Here’s what you need to know for the Thanksgiving holiday:

– You are not allowed to gather with people you don’t live with. This includes gathering both inside and outside, and in public and private spaces.
– Visitors to Vermont cannot gather with Vermonters in their home or elsewhere.
– The Health Department strongly advises against travel right now, even within Vermont. All travel to and from Vermont requires quarantine (unless considered essential).

If you do gather with another household, you should quarantine. Quarantine means staying home and away from other people for 14 days. Plan ahead on how you will do that.

We advise you to get tested as soon as possible after the gathering and then again on Day 7. If you continue to have no symptoms, you may end quarantine early with a negative test result.

Any time you are around others, remember to add these things: 6-Foot Spaces, Masks on Faces, Uncrowded Places. The more there are, the safer everyone will be.

While the holidays may look a little different this year, we all need to work together to make them safe and special.

Learn more at https://www.healthvermont.gov/covid19