Keeping to your ‘pod’ is the answer to December holidays

After this tough year, we all want our traditional summer holiday, but even making that annual trip to Plettenberg Bay or Cape Town is no longer straightforward. Many have sacrificed or altered their holiday plans because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A group of South African scientists calling themselves the Scientists Collective, including Professor Lucille Blumberg, emphasised in a recent advisory written inDaily Maverick that travelling together in a “pod”, where you maintain close contact only with those in that pod, is safest. The pod, they say, is only as safe as its weakest link. It just needs one lapse of judgement by one person to inadvertently expose everyone within the pod.

“Make sure everyone in the pod is on the same page, has a common understanding of what’s expected, and understands the risk of lapses. Adults should exercise greater vigilance over younger people at this time, but, as experience shows, co-operation is best achieved through persuasion not threats,” they write.

Deciding how to navigate the December holiday has been a quandary for many in our community. A Johannesburg Jewish woman, speaking on condition of anonymity, says she has been going to the Beacon Isle Hotel in Plettenberg Bay every December for more than two decades, but this year, with a heavy heart, she decided to make alternate plans.

“It really is my happy place. We usually go with all our friends, but this year, how much socialising would we be able to do? My kids also love Plett, but have also decided not to go. My concern is that if there is an outbreak of COVID-19, there’s only one small hospital nearby. There’s no Hatzolah, and what would happen if we were locked down? Instead, we are renting a house in Ballito, and we will stay in our “bubble”. It’s comforting to know that if something happens, we can get in the car and drive home.”

She says some of her friends have decided to have their regular annual hotel holiday “come what may”, while others have cancelled trips altogether. She knows of a family who were all going away together but then split up accommodation because they realised that partying grandchildren staying with elderly grandparents wouldn’t be a good idea.

While she’s sad to be missing her traditional holiday, she’s grateful that she’s still going away, knowing that others locked down around the world can’t even dream of that possibility right now.

COVID-19 had a dramatic impact on Monica Solomon’s holiday plans. She and her husband, daughter, and son-in-law decided in early March to book a holiday to Croatia for the end of the year.

“My daughter lives in Cape Town and we are in Johannesburg, so this holiday would be a chance to see her and spend quality time together,” says Solomon. Little did they know that just days after their trip was booked, the idea of flying across the world for an overseas holiday would become almost unthinkable.

For months, they questioned whether they should cancel their plans. “It was emotionally draining, and the potential financial loss was a concern.” Eventually, they decided to postpone their holiday until December 2021, and were reimbursed with vouchers. “Once we cancelled, the relief was huge,” Solomon says.

They have since chosen to holiday with family in Cape Town so that they can still see their daughter. They are “taking a chance” with flying down, but will follow strict COVID-19 protocols.

“COVID-19 hasn’t really had an impact on my holiday plans in any other way than I want to get out of Johannesburg more than ever before,” says Steph Moon. “It’s been an exceptionally long year, and I really feel like I need a break. We’re doing a family holiday with grannies, cousins, aunties, and uncles in a self-catering unit, so any interaction with other people will be very limited. We’re going to Marloth Park [a wildlife sanctuary on the southern boundary of the Kruger National Park, about 400km from Johannesburg] and will be driving there.”

Health professionals say it’s possible to have a safe getaway. “My basic advice is enjoy your holiday, but plan one that minimises COVID-19 risks as much as possible,” says family physician Dr Andrea Mendelsohn.

“The basic principles are: outdoors is always better than indoors. Have a lunch braai with family rather than an indoor supper. Go to outdoor restaurants with tables spaced far apart. Crowded indoor bars, clubs, and restaurants with poor ventilation are probably the highest-risk venues for COVID-19. Enjoy South Africa’s natural beauty – beaches, parks, and the mountains are COVID-safe and family-friendly,” she says.

“Keep your distance – avoid big crowds, especially indoors, as much as possible. Self-catering cottages in which you have your own space are better than hotels with lots of other people around common spaces and dining halls.”

You may be feeling footloose and fancy-free, but she says it is still crucial to “wear a mask over your nose and mouth whenever you go out and will be around a lot of people. If you fly, wear a mask during your entire trip, and space out when waiting in the queue. Don’t crowd together when entering and exiting the plane. Wear a mask when you use a public restroom.

“When you are indoors, open the windows to improve ventilation and space out. Wash your hands and give holiday house surfaces a wipe down when you arrive. Avoid people who are sick. Stay home if you are sick, and get tested if you have a new cough, sore throat, fever, loss of taste or smell, or shortness of breath,” says Mendelsohn.

Should you visit family? “Visiting family isn’t risk-free. However, it’s also important to maintain social connections with those we love. You have to decide your own risk factors, and if the family visit is worth the risk. For many, visiting family is worth it and important. If you are visiting a high-risk family member [for example, the elderly, or someone who has diabetes], you can consider a two-week quarantine prior to travelling in order to minimise the chance you could be asymptomatically infected. It’s also safer not to stay in the same house, and to socialise with your high-risk family members outside, with a mask on,” she says.

“Finally, limit visits to those family members who are ‘essential’, and put off the huge parties and multi-family gatherings until next year – reunion 2021, post vaccine! None of this advice is fool proof. However, we can minimise the risk of COVID-19 while still enjoying the holidays with close family and friends.”

The Scientists Collective notes that in the holiday season “there is a real danger that the virus may spread to areas that have been less affected. People from urban areas, where there is ongoing transmission, may take the virus to rural communities, and people visiting these urban areas from rural areas may be at greater risk of exposure.

“There is a danger if people let their guard down, as we have seen with some ‘super spreading’ events locally and abroad. Contagion happens in nightclubs, churches, funerals, weddings, and anywhere else where large crowds gather,” it advises. “Large family gatherings at home, where people might let their guard down, could prove to be more dangerous than going away on holiday.

“There may be a resurgence of infection in December – the so-called ‘second wave’ – especially if there is complacency about the use of face masks and physical distancing and an increase in large gatherings and indoor activities. However, even without a ‘second wave’, there is still significant risk,” the group says.