CDC unveils new safety guidelines for holiday season

NEW YORK - UPDATE:  The CDC has removed the guidance from the website.

Prior coverage is below:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unveiled its latest guidance for safely celebrating the upcoming holiday season.

The agency suggests, among other considerations, that families hold virtual holiday celebrations or have socially distanced celebrations outdoors with neighbors and friends. 

The CDC also recommended the idea of using a window fan to keep the air at an indoor party as fresh as possible.

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"If celebrating indoors, bring in fresh air by opening windows and doors, if possible. You can use a window fan in one of the open windows to blow air out of the window. This will pull fresh air in through the other open windows," the CDC said. 

Mask-wearing indoors is still recommended for unvaccinated people, along with wearing masks outdoors in crowded settings. Fully vaccinated people are recommended to wear masks in areas with substantial COVID-19 transmission.

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The CDC is also encouraging people to hold off on holiday travel until they’re fully vaccinated, but if unvaccinated people have to travel—including children who aren’t eligible for the shot—the CDC has suggestions for safer travel like making short trips by car and taking flights with fewer stops or layovers.

The guidelines say to avoid long-distance train or bus trips.  The CDC still recommends avoiding cruise ships or river boats for families with unvaccinated children.