Health experts are pleading with Americans to forgo their traditional plans for Thanksgiving and limit their gatherings to ten people.
President-elect Joe Biden (D) said that while he has a large family, he’s going to be keeping his Thanksgiving gathering under ten people.
During a virtual event on Wednesday, Biden said, “Well, they said, ‘Joe, maximum ten people in your home. Maximum, Joe.'”
“I got a big family you’ve probably heard a lot about. We do everything together. Well, you know, there are going to be three of us,” he added.
Watch the video below:
Biden says it’ll just be three people at his Thanksgiving table this year:
— The Recount (@therecount) November 18, 2020
“I got a big family you probably heard a lot about, we do everything together … you can’t mix the families …” pic.twitter.com/DwpSB6bkY4
The U.S. is currently experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases. On Tuesday, the country recorded 159,508 new cases and 1,583 new deaths.
Governors and mayors around the country have implemented new restrictions ahead of Thanksgiving aimed at curbing the spread of the virus. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) limited indoor gatherings to no more than ten people.
The mayor of Philadephia banned indoors altogether and prohibited people from different households from gathering.
While states have imposed new restrictions, conservatives have argued that the restrictions are too draconian.
During an appearance on Fox News on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said, “I think a lot of the guidelines you’re seeing are Orwellian.”
“The American people know how to protect their health. We’ve dealt with Covid for many months,” she continued.
“But it’s Orwellian in a place like Oregon to say, ‘If you gather in numbers more than six, we might come to your house and arrest you, and you get 30 days of jail time.’ That’s not the American way. We don’t lose our freedom in this country. We make responsible health decisions as individuals.”
However, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar urged Americans to adhere to local restrictions and follow public health guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving this year is at home with the people you live with and through virtual celebrations,” Azar said.
He added, “Gathering indoors with people who aren’t members of your household is a high-risk activity for spreading the virus.”