Stay safe over the Thanksgiving Holiday

Dear OCEA member,

The Holiday Season begins with Thanksgiving - a holiday that is all about being grateful for the blessings in our lives. How we celebrate Thanksgiving is going to be a little different just like almost everything else during this historic pandemic.

This weekend, a statewide curfew will take effect at 10 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21, and remain in effect until 5 a.m. Dec. 21. All “non-essential work, movement, and gatherings” are to stop between the designated hours of 10 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. each day. The order covers counties in the most restrictive purple coronavirus tier in which Orange County now falls. You can read the order here.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention says several factors account for the infection increase - the return of children to school, social distancing and mask-wearing non-compliance, and cold weather driving people into more confined spaces.

Indoor gatherings are of great concern during the Thanksgiving Holiday. Public Health experts are urging us to limit festivities to immediate household members. Travel may increase your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others this year. You can find the CDC guidelines here.

It’s too soon to know how history will record the year of the pandemic but what I have seen of our union membership - and its commitment to the communities they serve - has been inspiring. OCEA members, staff and workplace leaders have fought hard to maintain the safety, security and stability of working families in these difficult times.

Please consider public health guidelines carefully. Wear your mask whenever you leave the house and are less than six feet away from others who are not members of your household. We can protect our loved ones best by taking these common-sense precautions.

We hope you enjoy the Thanksgiving Holiday. Of the many blessings I am personally grateful for, standing together with all of you in our union ranks among the highest.

In Solidarity,

Charles Barfield
OCEA General Manager

Publication Date: November 20, 2020