As November comes to end, marking the 11 months since the first case of COVID-19, families are changing their Thanksgiving traditions due to social-distancing protocols recommended by the Center for Disease Control. 

“Normally we go up to Gainesville where my aunt and uncle live,” junior Anastacia Devlin said. “It’s easier for my uncle who lives in Orlando and most of my cousins and brothers live around there too.”

Because of concerns about the virus, her family had to alter their yearly tradition.

“My brothers are coming down from UF and we’re going to have dinner with my immediate family and my mom’s cousins who just moved down here from Chicago,” she said. “It’s easier for my grandma so that she doesn’t have to travel so much, and some of my family members haven’t taken the coronavirus seriously and it worries us to be around them for that long.”

She said she is most excited to see her brothers during Thanksgiving break. 

“We were together so much over quarantine and I miss them,” she said. “So it’ll be nice. That, and not having to go to school.” 

She said that she is getting annoyed with the pandemic.

“I feel if we had dealt with Covid correctly when it all began we could’ve avoided this prolonged effect,” she said. 

Junior Elise Chauvin had to change her plans as well. 

“Normally, my grandparents, cousins and aunt and uncle come visit for the break,” she said. “This year, my parents and I will just be having Thanksgiving at home with another family, because my relatives can’t travel.”

She said she understands that the traveling precautions are necessary, but she too wishes the pandemic was handled properly from the beginning.

“I wish more people actually tried to make lifestyle changes that correspond with the guidelines,” she said. “I’m just tired of the fact that we still have to miss out on things because some people still won’t social distance.”