Despite the long and lovely autumn we’ve been enjoying in Minnesota, the winter season should be arriving soon. With more people heading indoors, it’s also easier to transmit COVID-19. There are a few things that families can do to make holiday gatherings safer in the coming months:

• Make sure you and your family are up to date on booster shots. You can find vaccine locations in Minnesota using this website from the Department of Health.

• Have people test at home before gathering! All households in Minnesota are eligible to have up to 12 rapid antigen tests delivered via the mail for free. Sign up for free tests by clicking here. CVS and Walgreens also have easy-sign ups for getting tests shipped for free (CVS) or for in-store pick-up (Walgreens) for people who have insurance.

• Mask up using a high-quality mask (KN95s and N95s are now widely available—we suggest using a reputable vendor such as the non-profit N95 Project) when indoors or in crowded spaces.

With just a few minor precautions, we can celebrate with friends and family while still doing our part to keep one another safe and minimize another winter wave of COVID-19 infections.