The mayors of Hamilton County’s two largest cities have recently issued statements regarding in-home gatherings for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
Brainard
Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard, in a recent press release, said, “It is very tempting with Thanksgiving just around the corner to think that celebrating together with family or a small group of friends is harmless. Our data shows [sic] that the opposite is true. It is the in-home gatherings that are causing the increase in COVID cases and deaths.”
Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness stated in a recent social media video, “We’ve been less cautious. We’ve been visiting family members, inviting friends to our homes and getting together for weddings and birthday parties. Because of these actions we are facing an even greater risk of COVID-19 than we were six months ago. We need to start having hard conversations about our holiday plans this year.”
Several health officials have agreed that small in-home gatherings have been linked to the surge in COVID-19 cases.
Last month, the Chief Physician Executive at Community Health Network, Dr. Ram Yeleti, issued a statement encouraging Hoosiers to refrain from gathering with extended family for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Yeleti warned that one in 100 Hoosiers may be asymptomatic with COVID-19 and unaware they are exposing others to the virus.
For those still planning to gather, Yeleti has six suggestions:
- Don’t travel to visit others for Thanksgiving.
- If you choose to gather at home, gather outside.
- Whenever you’re indoors, open lots of windows for ventilation.
- Keep your masks on even when indoors, and remove only for eating.
- Eat Thanksgiving dinner outside.
- Don’t gather with or around the most vulnerable.
Our governments have overstepped their roles.
Who are you mayor Fadness or Brainard to tell my family what to do for the holidays! Who are you to tell my family how to take care of themselves against viruses! Who are you to tell business how to operate their companies, restaurants and shops!
May I remind you this is America, we have a constitution you are to respect and obey. You work for the citizens of Fishers and Carmel, I pay you to govern under the statutes of the constitution and laws.
you are not my doctor, you are not my boss, you are not a member of my family to tell us how to behave and gather. Such a shame Rainwater did not win governor, he is a man who respects the constitution and a persons right to have a job and take care of their own health and livelihood.
Do not fear this virus, the only thing to fear is God.
NONE of these “suggestions” will happen. You have overstepped in every way.
We WILL have our family time, you have stolen our jobs, our values, our mental health, our capacity to make our own choices. You will not steal this.
Agreed.
We have the right to be stupid beyond reason.
We have the right to endanger others.
Give us liberty or give us … death ?
Thank you Mayors for repeating that very elementary common sense medical advice. It certainly needs repeating, as evidenced by the comments above.
Eating Thanksgiving dinner outside in Indiana in late November does not sound appetizing to me. BRRRRR! I don’t like cold food. If you must open your windows, do so from the top. If you have a fireplace, use it. The cold draft through your home will make a lot of people sick esp. the older wiser generation and very young children. We need to gather together to support one another, not distance ourselves which may not be received well from some.