California releases guidelines for private gatherings with friends
Ahead of the Halloween and Thanksgiving holidays, California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly addressed new guidelines the state released this week allowing private outdoor gatherings with friends if specific conditions are met.
Ghaly said attendees must be from no more than three separate households and gatherings should last no more than two hours.
Gatherings “should be and must be done outside,” he added. People are also expected to take safety precautions, including wearing masks, practicing physical distancing and washing hands.
In the past, the state discouraged any gatherings outside of a single household.
Ghaly said the guidelines are meant to recognize that many close friends and relatives have been apart a long time and increasingly want to be together, especially with the holidays ahead.
The intention of the guidelines is not to encourage gatherings, but to inspire people to socialize safely when they do.
“Guidance here does
