GREAT FALLS — Social distancing, hand sanitizer, masks. These words reverberate around the country endlessly as millions of people hit the beaches, campgrounds and backyards of America to celebrate Memorial Day.
There are some obvious differences between this year’s holiday and the 2019 version. Most notably, the global pandemic known as Coronavirus (COVID-19), as the number of total deaths in the U.S. inches closer to 100,000, and the number of cases closes in on 1.7 million.
The CDC recommends that if you do choose to head out for Memorial Day, you maintain a distance of at least six feet from other people, and wear a mask whenever possible. They also advise bringing hand sanitizer with you, whether or not soap will be available wherever you are.
When it comes to your typical Memorial Day festivities, you might think of grilling, big backyard parties and large groups. People following CDC guidelines will notice that those things will look a little different this year too. It’s not a bad idea to wipe down and sanitize your grill and equipment after using it, especially if it’s a community grill that will be used by other people. The CDC is also reminding people that washing your hands with either soap and water or hand sanitizer frequently is a good idea, especially when you’re in a large group of people that might be sharing thigs like ketchup bottles or bags of chips.
All of these health precautions aren’t the only thing that’s different this year, though. If your Memorial Day Plans do include a backyard barbecue or some grilling, you may notice that the price of meat is higher than it was around this time in 2019.
“Meat prices are starting to go up,” said Trevor Cavanagh, the owner of Smoked. American Barbecue. “Which is a little bit unfortunate because the local producers were not seeing an increase in price to them, especially our cattle producers here in Montana.”
If your Memorial Day festivities aren’t complete without the main course, it might be a bit harder to find meat at lower prices this year, given the effect the Coronavirus pandemic has had on ranchers and suppliers.
As more states continue to loosen restrictions, health officials have expressed concern about a potential spike in the number of cases. With more people outside, restaurants are hoping to adapt to CDC guidelines, while still allowing customers to sit down and enjoy a meal.
“What we did do is add extra seating outside, we added handwash sanitation stations outside, we’re probably going to add some coverings as well too as the weather starts getting a little bit nicer,” said Cavanagh. “So, we’re filling picnic tables every day outside. I think these people feel a little bit better. We’re sanitizing them, they’re spaced even farther than six feet apart.”
For more information on how you can stay safe on Memorial Day and beyond, visit the CDC’s Coronavirus response page.
