ATLANTA — This year, many traditional Independence Day celebrations will look different thanks to COVID-19.
While some communities are canceling their plans, Woodstock is choosing to adapt.
"We really need to remember that there's a pandemic happening," explained Woodstock Assistant City Manager Coty Thigpen.
Celebrating the Fourth of July usually tends to lend itself to large gatherings. But Emory Dr. Carlos del Rio and others advise against that with Georgia still in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Going out with lots of people, large gatherings to watch the fireworks is probably not a good thing," he said.
Popular Fourth of July fireworks display have been canceled at Stone Mountain and Centennial Olympic Park this weekend, thanks to recent spikes in DeKalb, Gwinnett and Fulton counties. But fireworks are a still a go in Woodstock.
Thigpen said that's because people in the community can enjoy the show without gathering.
"Our fireworks display does not encourage gathering in one single location," he explained. "They'll be able to easily watch the display from their vehicles and enter and exit their preferred viewing location in a safe and orderly fashion."
Though Woodstock is moving ahead, data shows that over the past week, Cherokee County, where the city is located, has seen a large jump of COVID-19 cases. The county was averaging about 15 cases a day before the statewide spike. Now, they are around 30 cases a day.
So, how can you stay safe over the holiday weekend? If you are venturing out, Dr. Chirag Patel, the population health medical director at Wellstar, offered this advide: plan ahead. He said try to do the following:
- Go someplace where you can adequately social distance
- Take your own utensils
- Take your own cup
- Take your own food
- Take your own alcohol
- Go someplace where you can safely wear your cloth covering mask
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