With the holiday weekend approaching, we want to make sure that everyone is making safe choices and using best practices in avoiding transmission of COVID-19. King County has recently seen a drastic increase in new cases in the past week, with a 60% jump over the previous week, especially among young adults. See a report from Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer, Public Health – Seattle & King County on Kiro News. 

Currently, face coverings are required across the state of Washington in all public spaces. Face coverings are effective in slowing the spread of COVID-19, especially when combined with 6 feet of physical distance. To read more on the mask or cloth face-covering requirements in Washington, please visit this link. 

In order to keep our families and neighbors safe and for our economy to return to normal, we all need to do our part to slow the spread. We don't want to let the July 4th holiday become a tragic event for us and our loved ones. Here are some ways to celebrate while keeping you and your family safe!

1. Watch a Live-Stream Firework Show

• Macy's annual fireworks in New York City (5:00PM PT on NBC) 
• “A Capital Fourth” fireworks show in Washington, D.C. (5:00 PM PT on PBS, PBS.org, Facebook or YouTube) 
• “Shell Freedom Over Texas” fireworks celebration from Houston (7:00PM PT on ABC13.com)
• Nashville’s “Let Freedom Sing!” event (10 PM ET at NewsChannel5.com) 

2. Attend a Virtual Celebration

• Philadelphia’s “Welcome America” festival: featuring cultural programming, fun lessons for children, and family-friendly workout sessions. Plus, a concert by Cynthia Erivo and Jason Derulo.
• Los Angeles’ annual block party: featuring musical performances, a poetry reading, comedy sketches and more
• Boston Pops Orchestra: paying tribute to front-line workers in a celebration

3. Practice Safe Behavior

If you absolutely must host a backyard barbeque or get-together at home, read the guidelines released by the CDC for how to do so safely. Here are the highlights: 

• Stay outside 
• Limit the number of people at your gathering
• Ask that your guests wear a cloth face mask
• Encourage social distancing by placing tables and chairs a safe six feet apart
• Make sure that you and your guests wash hands before and after eating
• Disinfect any commonly touched surfaces
• If you can, opt for touchless garbage cans and wear disposable gloves when cleaning up
• Have guests bring their own dining ware (plates, cups, utensils) or use only disposable options
• Potentially have guests bring their own food and drinks or opt for single serve portions rather than a buffet, with only a single person grilling or serving food

We hope that each of you to take every precaution, including wearing a mask and avoiding gatherings - particularly indoors. There is so much at stake - we need to protect ourselves, each other, and our economy. Thank you for continuing to do your part to help your friends and neighbors stay safe this holiday weekend!