Backyard gatherings don’t look like last year’s

Backyard entertaining during Covid-19 takes a different kind of planning than summer get-togethers of years past.

If you take a look around your neighborhood and community, it’s clear some people are entertaining. Now, with face mask wearing and social distancing part of everyday life – and the percentage of positive tests in Western New York having remained close to 1% in recent weeks – others may be just returning to the idea of having people over.

So what should people eager to see friends and family think about before pulling something together?

The principles to keep in mind are that outdoors is much safer than indoors, wearing masks is much safer than not wearing masks, and keeping physically (socially) distant is also extremely important, said Dr. Peter Winkelstein, executive director of the Institute for Healthcare Informatics at University at Buffalo and clinical professor of pediatrics in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

“The other thing to keep in mind is that smaller gatherings are safer than larger gatherings. The larger the gathering, the more danger there is of being exposed,” Winkelstein said.

“Large gatherings get dangerous very quickly, so keep it small, keep it outside, keep people as physically distant as possible – and wear masks if possible. Now obviously at a cookout that’s not so easy because people want to eat. But if you’re just talking, put it on.”

Winkelstein, who leads the team on modeling the spread of Covid-19 locally, was recently quoted in a UB article on the importance of wearing face masks.

”I think most people get it, but we’re trying to emphasize how important the face masks are, that people should be wearing them all the time. It’s going to be a key element of keeping this under control, as we get into the fall especially,” he said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Smaller outdoor and in-person gatherings in which individuals from different households remain spaced at least 6 feet apart, wear cloth face coverings, do not share objects, and come from the same local area (e.g., community, town, city, or county)” are lower risk than larger gatherings (but not as low as virtual-only gatherings). The highest risk: Large, in-person gatherings where it is difficult for individuals to remain spaced at least 6 feet apart and attendees travel from outside the local area.

Additional recommendations

Winkelstein, who has had just one or two other couples over this summer – outside only and with separate tables – also recommends the following:

• If the forecast calls for rain, cancel the outdoor gathering. “Reschedule it. Don’t move it indoors,” he said.

• People from the same household can sit together, but groups should remain as far apart as possible – a minimum of 6 feet apart or more. They should all have their own food.

“Now whether you ask people to bring their own food – which is what some people do; that’s a good idea – or if you’re going to serve food, you should not have shared food. Passed dishes are a big mistake. You don’t want to pass around chips and salsa or cheese and crackers because everybody is touching it. That’s not a good idea. Each table or each group should have their own food. They either bring it or, if you’re going to serve it, serve it in separate platters,” he said.

Disposable paper products are one option. People can also bring their own utensils and drinks – and take it all back with them. Consider takeout in individual servings.

What about kids?

“Kids should be as socially distanced as possible, but it’s very difficult with little tiny kids. You have to be really careful because it’s going to be very hard to keep little kids away from each other. So that means that the little kids are probably going to interact, so you do not want to bring over people that you feel that interacting with them is potentially dangerous.

“You really only want to be socializing with people who are taking their precautions as seriously as you are. People sometimes form quarantine pods, or isolation pods – there are various names for them – groups where everyone is on the same page,” Winkelstein said.

No contact sports. No rough-and-tumble stuff. Set up badminton or other games that can help keep kids separate, he said.

What about bathrooms?

If possible, designate one bathroom as the guest bathroom. Make it as easy as possible for guests to get in and out of the house as quickly as possible. Provide disposable towels, hand sanitizers and soap.

“That bathroom should have an exhaust fan. You should leave the exhaust fan on, in my opinion, and leave the door closed so basically anything in that bathroom gets blown out of the house. 

“Nobody should enter your house without a mask. Period. Must have the mask on, go to the bathroom, turn around and get out with the mask on,” Winkelstein said.

The smaller, the better

Buffalo residents Jim and Leslie Charlier have entertained a few times in their garden this summer – always keeping social distancing in mind. The garden features seating areas, a 10-foot-long picnic table and an umbrella table.

Four couples recently got together. “We set up a bar area away and apart from our deck so there’s no congregating in that small area. We tried to use more of the yard and garden and not confine ourselves to one area of the deck. We scrubbed the bathroom down before and after guests arrived. Our bathroom happens to be just inside the back door, so that helps,” said Jim Charlier, vice president of Gardens Buffalo Niagara.

“Single-serve drinks in cans and bottles make good sense. Hors d’oeuvres that don’t require serving utensils are better, too,” he said.

Naturally, some people have been hesitant to start socializing again.

“Some people are just nervous about gathering so we’ve, at times, kept it to just one couple, outdoors, and asked ahead if they’d prefer to bring their own cocktails and glasses, or even dinnerware, though that doesn’t seem to be much of an issue as of late,” he added.

“Most importantly, when it’s been more than one couple, we make sure it’s people that know each other. Not a good time to be mixing people together for the first time. It’s best if everyone knows each other’s daily routines are cautious and considered,” Charlier said, noting that the same four couples have gotten together twice this summer.

Suzy Cherry Redino of Eggertsville has a similar approach. She was eager to do some entertaining this summer, but has kept the gatherings to the same close friends and family.

“I feel it’s safer that way. You see the same people; you know who their ‘pod’ is. We have no more than eight to 10 people, and we’re social distancing. We’re not on top of each other,” she said.

A few other tips from the CDC and other sources:

• No handshakes, hugs or elbow bumps when guests arrive.

• Before guests arrive, arrange lounge chairs and other furniture at least 6 feet apart so everything is ready and doesn’t need to be shuffled around.

• Place everything guests may need on their individual tables – disposable plates, napkins, individual bags of chips, hand sanitizers, bug spray, etc. – so they don’t have to wander around looking for things.

• Avoid any self-serve food or drink options, such as buffets, salad bars, and condiment or drink stations. Use grab-and-go meal options, if available.

• Don’t play loud music so guests won’t have to shout above it or move closer to each other.