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Dr. Dave Hnida: Don't Spend New Years Spreading COVID Particles, Just Go With Holiday Bubbles

(CBS4) - As the new year approaches, health officials in Colorado are urging everyone to only interact with members of their own households as much as possible for the rest of the week. That's because COVID-19 cases remain high in Colorado, although not quite as high as some other regions of the United States.

"Our test positivity rate is ... running about 6% right now," CBS4 Medical Editor Dr. Dave Hnida said in an extended interview on CBSN Denver Monday. "We are still running higher than we were back at the height of things back in the spring."

Hnida said that if you spent Christmas with people outside of your own household, you should self-quarantine for at least seven days and then get tested for coronavirus.

Hnida is also reminding everyone to make smart choices when deciding how to celebrate the arrival of the new year.

"We're still not out of the holiday woods yet, so to speak, we've got New Year's coming up and New Year's is a big party time, typically there's a tendency toward alcohol. And so we really need to be extra cautious as we try to celebrate getting out of this crazy year of 2020 and welcoming in 2021. But you know, we don't want to be spreading COVID particles we'd rather celebrate with holiday bubbles," Hnida said. "So please continue to follow the recommendations according to the state health department."

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