HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health encourages people to celebrate the holidays safely by taking simple steps to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

    Get a bivalent booster at your doctor’s office, neighborhood clinic, or pharmacy

    Stay home if sick

    Wear masks indoors, when traveling, and when with vulnerable people

    Gather outdoors. If you must gather indoors, open windows and use fans to improve ventilation

    Limit gathering sizes

    Take an at-home test before meeting with k?puna and others at high risk of severe illness

    Wash or sanitize hands frequently

“The past few years COVID-19 illness increased during the holidays after people got together to celebrate,” said State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char, FACEP. “We encourage celebrations, but urge people to take steps to protect one another, especially people at high-risk including k?puna, those with underlying health conditions, and people with compromised immune systems.”

Find information about vaccination providers and the services they offer at vaccines.gov or by visiting the vaccine finder map at https://hawaiicovid19.com/vaccine/.