November 11, 2020
ALLEGANY COUNTY, NY – The Allegany County Department of Health (ACDOH) is asking County residents to help us stop the
spread of COVID-19 during the holiday season. Thanksgiving is coming up, and it is a holiday filled with large
gatherings of family, friends, and people traveling long distances to celebrate together. Some of these people may
be coming to Allegany County and New York State from other states or counties with large numbers of COVID-
19 positive cases. Some Allegany County residents might be traveling to other states or counties with high
COVID-19 infection rates.
ACDOH is asking County residents to consider having a small dinner with only people who live in your
household. Here are some other low COVID-19 risk activities you might want to consider to help stop the spread
of COVID-19 in Allegany County:
Ask relatives, family, friends, and neighbors not to travel this Thanksgiving.
Prepare traditional family recipes for family and neighbors, especially those at higher risk of severe illness from
COVID-19, and deliver them in a way that doesn’t involve contact with others.
o Call them from their driveway and then leave the food on their porch. Ask them to wait for you to leave
the porch before they open the door. You can wave and talk from a distance.
For those that love to cook, drop off a holiday food basket filled with family favorite recipes and the ingredients
to make them.
Have a virtual dinner and share recipes with friends and family so everyone can enjoy their favorites.
Send pictures of your holiday meal by email, text, or post on social media.
Shopping online rather than in person on Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving, or the next Monday.
Watching sports events, parades, and movies from home.
Have a family game day.
Have your college student get a COVID-19 test before they return home.
Always remember when shopping for food for your holiday meal, to wear a mask covering your nose and mouth,
keep a social distance of six feet, use hand sanitizer, and try to shop when the stores are not as busy.
All of these suggestions will help protect your family, relatives, friends, neighbors, co-workers, the elderly, and
staff and students in your local school. If you have general COVID-19 questions, you may also call the Allegany
County Department of Health at (585)268-9250 for more information.
