NEW YORK (AP) — The nation’s top public health agency is pleading with Americans not to travel for Thanksgiving, or to spend the holiday with people with whom they are not currently living.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the recommendations Thursday, one week before the traditional family gathering celebration — and at a time when diagnosed coronavirus infections, hospitalizations, and deaths are skyrocketing across the country.

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The CDC recommends against traveling for the holiday and advised Americans to keep their holiday celebrations to just the members of their household — those who have lived with them for at least 14 days prior to the holiday — in order to avoid further spread of the virus.

Basically -- if you aren't already with them -- it's not advised that you spend time with them for Thanksgiving.

If families do decide to include returning college students, military service members, or others in a gathering, the CDC is recommending that hosting families take added precautions.

Those include: gatherings should be outdoors, if possible, with people keeping 6 feet apart, wearing masks, and having just one person serve the food.

(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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