Safe And Sound

Eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic, it is easy to understand a desire to embrace the holiday season with fervor, gather with friends and family who have remained largely at a distance, and even battle the crushing cabin fever by traveling to finally hug those loved ones who have never felt farther away.

This, unfortunately, is not the year for that kind of Thanksgiving.

Across the United States, cases of COVID-19 are rising at alarming rates, as is the number of hospitalizations, and if the grim reality continues, the death rate will follow a few weeks later. Nationally, conditions are more acute now than at any time in the entire crisis.

This kind of spike — as people move indoors during colder months, when fewer outdoor activities and gatherings are possible, and a general fatigue from virus restrictions has only worsened our pent-up impatience — was forecast months ago. Absent a more cogent national response to the virus outbreak, states are scrambling to curb this alarming trend, which threatens our economies, our children’s education and, at the most basic level, our lives.

This virus is not predictable — some emerge from infection barely having felt ill, while others experience dramatic symptoms for weeks and sometimes months. Some will suffer irreversible lung damage. Some will have a lengthy recovery from the physical, mental and emotional scars left by the disease and its treatment even after the virus is gone. Some will die from it.

In Suffolk County, there have been over 2,000 deaths as a result of COVID-19, with over 53,000 cases reported since March — 345 new cases were reported just this past Monday. Statewide, 33,540 have died as a result of the virus; the 32 deaths reported on Monday represent an increase of 73 percent, a trend decidedly in the wrong direction. Nationally, that figure is now averaging 1,000 people per day and is only expected to increase over the course of the next month.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has cautioned against large family gatherings, noting the recent upticks have often been connected to these private events: This recent spike, medical experts and state officials agree, likely is linked to a spate of Halloween gatherings. Mr. Cuomo is asking families to limit any gathering — including Thanksgiving — to no more than 10 people, whether indoors or outdoors.

But, the truth is, this is a Thanksgiving that should be limited to immediate family only. The multigenerational holiday gathering of Norman Rockwell paintings will happen again, perhaps as soon as next year. But it simply cannot occur in the midst of a pandemic. It’s far, far too risky to the very loved ones around the table, not to mention the rest of the community.

New York is nowhere near where it was this spring in terms of cases and hospitalization rates. As the rest of the country hits new peaks, New York can take small comfort that the worst of the virus’s impact was front-loaded here, and dedication to social distancing and other measures has been remarkably effective in keeping this population comparably safe, despite the challenges that come with large numbers of residents.

The increase remains something we must be mindful of, not only for the health of our families but for our local economy, which in some sectors is booming while others still struggle. All local businesses would face dire consequences in the face of another shutdown, especially as the Hanukkah and Christmas seasons approach.

A scaled-back Thanksgiving is not a canceled Thanksgiving. It’s not a political statement — the political season is ended — and it’s not an act of fear or desperation, just common sense and responsibility. Maybe this year, more than ever, not being with our relatives is the best way to express our gratitude and love for them.

And for any of us who count ourselves and our families healthy this holiday season, we certainly have a lot to be grateful for. Express that thankfulness with a holiday of reflection, keenly feeling the absence, and looking forward to that day, very soon, when it all turns into a hug again, with no virus in the way.