We just made it through Thanksgiving and here we are at Hanukkah! December is going to go by quickly as we approach the Christmas, Kwanza, and New Year celebrations.

Are you taking precautions to avoid getting COVID-19? How about precautions to avoid the spread? Thankfully, 2021 brought us good things like vaccines for COVID and new rapid testing options. But, there are still people who aren’t vaccinated, and the highly contagious Delta variant is circulating around Massachusetts. Whether you’re hosting a gathering or going to one or a few this December, you need to make sure you’re doing your part to stay safe and keep others safe from COVID-19. After all, winter is the time of year where it’s not just COVID-19 you have to worry about. Other viruses like flu, colds, and hand foot, and mouth disease have been abounding as well. 

Without further ado, AFC Urgent Care Springfield has created a guide for you on COVID-19 precautions to take when planning your holiday celebrations.

Precautions To Take If You Plan On Traveling This Christmas

Traveling is still restricted in many places around the world. At this time, domestic flights don’t require a COVID-19 vaccination, but you do need a COVID-19 test 1 day before you travel internationally if you’re not vaccinated. The CDC also recommends for unvaccinated individuals get tested when they return. 

Hawaii continues to have restrictions to enter its state unless you get a COVID-19 test from a trusted provider. Luckily for you, AFC Urgent Care in Springfield is a trusted provider with the state of Hawaii and can help you with COVID-19 testing for entry. 

The best thing to do is check the state or country you wish to travel to this winter to avoid any delays and of course avoid COVID-19. You can check with The CDC as they continue to update information on travel safety during COVID-19.

Although cases in the U.S have decreased over the past few months, travel restrictions for international countries are more restricted than domestic traveling. This means that a COVID-19 vaccine will be your safest bet when traveling internationally. With the newest variant, the Omicron emerging, international travel guidelines are swiftly shifting. 

Know The Differences Between Colds, Flu, And COVID-19

Recently we’ve started to see patients come in with hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD). People are coming in thinking it’s COVID-19. It isn’t. Although it is considered another contagious disease, the symptoms for hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) are:

• Mouth Sores

• Rash on hands and feet

• Fever

If you’re worried about whether you have the flu, a cold, or COVID-19 here are the basic differences: 

AFC Urgent Care Springfield Wishes You A Happy And COVID-19 Free Holiday Season

The risk for COVID-19 is not knowing if you have it or not. Whether you go to a holiday gathering or host one, know the risks involved and take extra precautions so you can keep your friends and families safe from COVID-19. If you need COVID-19 testing before an event, to travel, or even after your holiday events, come see us any day of the week. We offer Rapid COVID-19 testing 7 days a week with no appointment needed.

***We cannot predict the demands of COVID-19 testing for the holidays, so please plan in advance before you travel, go to a family gathering, etc.

Should you need us for other urgent care services, you can always walk in for X-rays, flu shots, sprains, wounds, foodborne illnesses, and other urgent care needs at any time. With extended hours from 8 am to 8 pm Monday through Friday and weekend hours from 8 am to 5 pm, we make it convenient for our families and friends in the Springfield community to seek quality treatment from a brand they can trust.