Don’t invite COVID to the big game

COVID doesn’t play by the rules. Attending a watch party or sports event is risky. Instead of huddling together with people from outside your household to cheer for your favorite team, score extra points with friends and family by planning a virtual or socially distanced alternative. When watching the big game, be sure to Follow the Four. Remember, COVID plays dirty and doesn’t care who wins.

Hosting or attending a watch party (or not)

• Be the quarterback and take the lead. If someone suggests getting together to watch the game, punt it back to them and remind them why it’s safer to stay home and enjoy the game on your own.
• Kickoff a virtual watch party with a group text to chat, jab and celebrate during the game as you watch it together.
• Swap your favorite gameday recipes and make each other’s favorites to snack on during the game.
• Watch the game outdoors in a socially distanced way. Set up an outdoor screen and create your own football field by marking off every six feet with “yard lines,” then space chairs and tables accordingly.
• Serve individually packaged foods or identify one person to serve so that multiple people are not handling the utensils. Or, better yet, ask people to bring their own food and drinks. No double dipping!
• Establish an offensive line by asking guests to bring and wear face masks and remind them to stay home if they are sick or if they’ve been exposed in the last 14 days.
• Limit contact with commonly touched surfaces or shared items and provide adequate hand-washing options or hand sanitizer.
• Know your county’s risk level and the guidance for social and at-home gathering sizes, based on the state’s framework. Disease spread and percent positivity determine the risk level for allowed activities.

Attending sporting events safely

• Drive separately instead of carpooling to sporting events. To make it fun, follow each other in separate vehicles, grab some drive-through coffee-stand drinks, and pay for the car behind you.
• Keep your distance from others, regardless of whether the sporting event is indoors or outdoors. Instead of cozying up with other people to celebrate scores and commiserate about the referee’s calls, text them instead.
• Know your county’s risk level and the guidance for sports activities, based on the state’s framework. Disease spread and percent positivity determine the risk level for allowed activities.
• Consider reducing the amount of time you spend at the event, leaving or arriving early or late, and bring along your own drinks, snacks and hand sanitizer.

For more information and tips, visit:

Lane Transit District
Lane County Public Health
Oregon Health Authority
Centers for Disease Control