Don’t invite COVID
to your birthday party

It’s your birthday and you’re ready to celebrate. You want to invite everyone—friends and family. It’s time to party. And why not? You’ve been vaccinated and so have a few others—but not everyone. It’s safe, right? The truth is, it’s safer but not safe enough. So, before you go and order that half a sheet cake, consider ways to celebrate that won’t send people home sick. Follow the Four, and you’ll be the life of the party.

Tips for hosting a birthday party and other get-togethers

• Keep track of the guest list. Even in lower risk areas, be sure to follow the guidelines for indoor and outdoor gathering limits when deciding on the number of guests to invite.
• Invite and remind. Include a reminder with your invitations that guests should remain home on the day of the party if they are not feeling well or if they’ve been exposed to COVID-19 in the past 14 days.
• Call it a “maskerade” party. Ask guests to bring and wear face masks, even if they are fully vaccinated. Set an example by wearing one when you welcome guests at the door. At the party, provide masks for guests who might forget.
• Not everybody all at once. Consider staggering arrival times for guests so that smaller groups can more easily socially distance.
• Bring your own beverages. Ask guests to bring their own drinks to lessen people congregating around a beverage cart.
• Everybody needs space. Whether indoors or outdoors, arrange seating at the recommended 6 feet apart. If the weather allows, open windows for ventilation.
• Keeping it clean. Set out hand sanitizers and reduce access to high-touch surfaces. Limit the number of rooms that guests can access. Designate one or two people to clean up regularly throughout the event. The bathroom, too, should be wiped down after each use. Or consider a shorter party—two hours tops—to minimize the need to use the bathroom.
• Take the party outdoors. Nice weather means the party can move outdoors, reducing exposure risk and providing more opportunity for social distancing.
• Gifts that keep on giving. Suggest that guests donate to a favorite cause in honor of the birthday, rather than risk the potential for guests gathering too close for opening presents.
• Let them eat cake. Because it’s important to limit the sharing of food and food-serving utensils, plan to pre-slice the birthday cake and enlist one person to serve, using disposable plates and utensils, or serve cupcakes.

Tips for attending a birthday party or other social gatherings

• Keep your distance from others, especially those from other households.
• Wear a mask and bring your own hand sanitizer.
• Remember not to touch your face or the front of your mask. The virus is transmitted through mucous membranes in the eyes, nose and mouth.
• Know your county’s risk level and the state’s guidance for at-home and social gatherings.
• Consider reducing the amount of time you spend at the party.

For more information and tips, visit:

Lane Transit District
Lane County Public Health
Oregon Health Authority
Centers for Disease Control