Is It Safe to Eat Chicken 6 Days After Expiration

How to Celebrate Independence Day Safely During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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Independence Day is going to be different this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Preventing fireworks-related emergencies and accidents, following driving rules and keeping in mind food preparation rules when grilling outdoors are a few ways of staying safe over Independence Day weekend. However, there are other concerns we need to be aware of now. Here's how to celebrate Independence Day safely, with new important tips to consider.

Celebrate in a Space that Allows Physical Distancing

Spending the holiday at home is convenient. However, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it's best to find a place where people can keep their distance as the CDC urges everyone to stay at least six feet apart. Celebrating in your backyard or at a park are the safest options. These open spaces allow people to maintain their distance while outdoor airflow reduces the risk of contracting the virus.

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Limiting the number of guests at your event is also important. If more people attend your celebration, it will make social distancing harder. As a result, keeping your guest list to a minimum can help lower risks. If you prefer to have no physical guests, you can always host a virtual party, so you can have as many guests as you want.

Play Socially Distant Games

Your Fourth of July celebration can still be fun with some games and contests that bring people together yet safely keep them apart. Try a toss-your shoe contest or cartwheel competitions. You can also play badminton, charades or Simon Says. Having a water fight is another contactless game. Use super soakers to douse people from afar. Plus, everyone is going to run away from each other instead of towards each other.

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If you're having a virtual party, you can still host games and contests. There are many online games available for groups to play together. Your group can also have a cooking challenge or a patriotic fashion show. End the night with a virtual trivia game or a dance party.

Bring Your Own Everything (and Don't Share)

If you have guests coming to your celebration, skip the shared serving bowls, utensils and the buffet-style table set. Designate one person to serve food and drinks. It's also a good idea to offer single-use products, such as condiment or dressing packets,

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However, to be extra safe, everyone can bring their own food, drinks and supplies, like bottle openers, lighters and napkins. It's also important not to share these products. The CDC recommends "to limit contact with commonly touched surfaces or shared items."

Find and Wear a Good Mask

Wearing a mask in public spaces protects you and everyone else around you. According to experts, it's one of the best ways to reduce the spread of the virus. You can find reusable or disposable masks at your local store or online. You can also make your own mask at home.

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Reusing disposable masks is not recommended because face-coverings become less effective. However, homemade masks or reusable masks are okay to wear over and over again. There are many wrong ways to wear your mask. The best way to wear your mask is over your mouth and nose. Also, make sure it stays in place.

Follow Regular Vehicle Protocols

Many people die in alcohol-related car crashes over Independence Day weekend, making it one of the deadliest holidays of the year, so don't drink and drive.

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If traveling over Independence Day weekend, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also recommends wearing seat belts, following speed limits, and watching for disabled vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. It also recommends using the right car seat for young children.

Prepare Food With Extra Care

Barbecuing can lead to grilling flare-ups and scary grease fires. It's highly recommended not to throw water in these events. If you have a grease fire on your hands, cover the grill and shut the air vents to withhold the grill of oxygen. It's also a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher on hand. However, safe barbecuing means more than preventing accidental fires.

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Other food safety recommendations include completely thawing meat and poultry before grilling, transporting food in insulated coolers to prevent bacterial growth and grilling food immediately after taking it out of the refrigerator. Using different platters and utensils for raw and cooked meat and chicken to prevent food-borne illnesses is also a good practice.

Use Fireworks Wisely

On average, 180 people go to the emergency room with fireworks-related injuries every day in the month or so around Independence Day weekend, says the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

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To prevent these injuries, never let young children play with or light fireworks, never try to relight or pick up fireworks that failed to ignite, and never point or shoot fireworks at or toward another person. Keeping a bucket of water handy to put out accidental fires and to douse fireworks after they finish burning can also prevent fireworks-related accidents.

Stay Home and Go on a Movie Marathon

There's also nothing wrong with watching movies all day or night with your household or by yourself. Classic films include 1776 and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. If you want to see heroic action movies, consider Captain America or National Treasure. Films about American History include Selma, Hidden Figures, Ruby Bridges and Harriet.

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Other great films to check out are Jaws, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Forrest Gump and The Patriot. Plus, Independence Day wouldn't be complete without watching the movie Independence Day, which features Will Smith saving the country from an alien invasion.

Is It Safe to Eat Chicken 6 Days After Expiration

Source: https://www.reference.com/world-view/safety-tips-independence-day?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740005%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex

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