Should Gov. Mike DeWine ban outdoor holiday events to fight the COVID-19 surge?

CLEVELAND — The holiday season is in full swing, with traditions like gingerbread houses at the Cleveland Botanical Garden's Glow and fantastic displays at Winter Wild Lights at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. But should such events be allowed while the coronavirus is surging? Gov. Mike DeWine's latest restrictions include a three-week curfew, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. to curb the spread of the COVID-19. No plans have been made to shut down restaurants, bars, and gyms as the governor's biggest focus is on people staying home. In Cuyahoga, Summit and other urban counties, boards of health have issued stay-at-home advisories, recommending people leave home only for necessities. In Lake and Lorain counties, the risk of coronavirus is so high they're rated purple, the highest level on the state's color-coded coronavirus map. The Ohio Department of Health reported Wednesday 10,835 new coronavirus cases, although there is a backlog of thousands of unconfirmed cases. The number of reported deaths increased 156 — which is an all-time record in Ohio — to a total of 6,274. Three health experts weigh in on whether Dewine should consider implementing a ban on all indoor and outdoor activities. Here's what they had to say. Daniel Nichols, virologist and assistant professor at Seton Hall University "I really wouldn't recommend going to any of these events. You're safer at home," says Daniel Nichols virologist and assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Seton Hall University. Nichols says safety relies on the ability of local officials to enforce distancing and masking policies, and even then, people who attend these events need to know that the risk of becoming infected still exists, albeit it at a lower risk than if similar festivities were held indoors. "For me personally, I wouldn't attend an outdoor gathering with a significant number of people because I don't think it's worth the risk," Nichols said. "However, I think we also have to take into account the mental health aspect of closures and recognize that holiday events do help people relieve stress as they navigate through what is certain to be a very difficult couple of months." Nichols recommends if you must go to a holiday event, you should plan to attend one that is not expected to have a lot of people, one that is spread out, and an event where you and the other attendees are wearing masks and obeying local public health guidelines. "I might avoid singing in a group of people since singing can project droplets that have the virus. It's safer to be outside than inside, but more people and more interactions increase your risk of infection," says Nichols Nichols also said the virus can spread very well indoors during the winter due to prolonged survivability outside of the host and because aerosols containing the virus stay airborne longer during the winter months than in the summer. "With SARS-CoV-2 numbers as high as they are in Ohio, I'm afraid that closing indoor holiday events is the best option," says Nichols. He says people are far more susceptible to becoming infected by respiratory viruses during the winter months than in the summer. "I think it's also important to know that while masks do work to prevent the spread of the virus, masks work best when combined with social distancing, reduced density, and increased ventilation. It's hard to make sure that all these guidelines are followed indoors so canceling indoor festivities is the only way to reduce the spread of the virus at these events," says Nichols. Perry Halkitis, dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health Halkitis there is no magic number when it comes to family gatherings but outdoor activities may fair slightly better. "Outdoor is less risky than indoor. But 'low risk' doesn't mean 'no risk.' Generally, I am suggesting everyone take a pause from the 2020 holiday gatherings," says Halkitis. Halkitis says if a gathering is a must, then people should only be around family members who have been testing, following the guidelines in place, and whom you have created a "pod" with. "If you can assure that people are following those rules then you can gather with them," says Halkitis. "When you do gather with them, depending on the size of the space, preferably outside than inside, but if it has to be inside, continue to wear masks, continue to distance, and no 'family-style food..'" Halkitis says the responsibility of elected officials is not to overmanage, "but to recommend, to suggest, and to model behavior." Dr. Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security Adalja says it's not a question of recommending events be canceled but it's an issue of a person's individual risk tolerance and their individual hierarchy of values. He believes many outdoor activities can be made safer, but none will be zero risk. "In general outdoor events are safer than indoor. Masking, staying away from crowds, and washing hands frequently are the best practices with all these venues," says Adalja. He says he knows irrespective of orders, people will still have multi-household gatherings. However, Adalja fears that if it's made illegal to mix households there may be a significant backlash. "In my opinion, I think we have to move to a harm reduction approach and give people tips to try and decrease the spread," says Adalja. ___ (c)2020 The Plain Dealer, Cleveland Visit The Plain Dealer, Cleveland at www.cleveland.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.