- Title: Testing, traveling and rethinking rituals: America's COVID Thanksgiving
- Date: 26th November 2020
- Summary: COLUMBUS, OHIO, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 25, 2020) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF STUDENT DORM AT OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY / STUDENT SEEN PUSHING WHEELED CART FULL OF LUGGAGE VARIOUS OF STUDENT AND ANOTHER PERSON UNLOADING LUGGAGE FROM CART, LOADING THEM INTO VEHICLE HEAP OF WHEELED CARTS INSIDE DORM SEEN FROM WINDOW, STUDENT COMING OUT OF ELEVATOR, TAKING ONE, GETTING BACK ONTO ELEVATOR EXTERIOR OF DORM, VARIOUS PEOPLE SEEN LEAVING CARRYING LUGGAGE, PUSHING WHEELED CARTS
- Embargoed: 10th December 2020 16:27
- Keywords: COVID-19 Coronavirus Ohio State Thanksgiving drive through Thanksgiving rituals students testing travel
- Location: DALLAS, TEXAS; COLUMBUS, OHIO; AND BOULDER, COLORADO, UNITED STATES
- Reuters ID: LVA002D67GHMV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Getting tested for a virus and rethinking rituals have never been much a part of Americans' Thanksgiving, normally one of the biggest holidays in the United States. But in 2020 , few things register as "normal".
In Dallas, Texas, long lines of vehicles were seen at a rapid testing site turning around some 500 results a day ahead of the holiday. "Peak in June we were at the highest I believe was in June was 12 percent and we're higher than that at this point," Chief Operations Official at a local medical center, Alyssa Mcelya said.
Her father, Doctor Martin Mcelya explained that they can almost predict when the lines will get long. "It is so linked to what's going on in the community and what's happening with society," he said.
That's why many have resigned to rethink the holiday and the feast that is associated with it. Dennis and Jan Culver from Boulder, Colorado, found a COVID-safe alternative: a Thanksgiving drive-through on their entrance porch.
"I don't wanna get sick. Jan doesn't wanna get sick. And I don't want to get anybody sick. And so we just had to do something different," Culver said.
Video footage showed students wearing masks and leaving an Ohio State University campus with luggage, supposedly to return home for the holiday. More than 1 million people flew through U.S. airports on Friday, according to data from the Transportation Security Administration, fueling fears of even greater spread of the virus. It was the second-heaviest domestic air traffic day since the start of the pandemic, despite pleas from health officials for Americans to stay home.
U.S. deaths from COVID-19 surpassed 2,000 in a single day on Tuesday (November 24) for the first time since May, and hospitalizations reached a record of more than 89,000 on Wednesday.
Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival celebrated in the U.S. on the fourth Thursday in November and traditionally is a time to express gratitude.
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