Family and friends will be gathering for the festive season, with the lockdown exit planned for 15 December 2020 by the French Government. The French High Council for Public Health (HCSP) analyses the health risk posed by these gatherings of people and summarizes international recommendations before publishing recommendations on the measures to be applied to limit the risk of Covid-19 contamination in this context. In particular, it provides guidelines to be applied before, during and after family and/or friends gatherings, and gives specific advice on the behaviour to adopt during group meals.

Those guidelines are intended to help health authorities in the management of these private events and in the communication of prevention measures to the public. It is also aimed at the population and participants in these gatherings who are looking for concrete measures to apply in order to limit as much as possible their individual risk of infection and the risk of infecting their close circle of friends (clusters) and family in order to approach this festive period in a responsible and serene manner.

The HCSP therefore recommends that these measures be widely disseminated through simple messages aimed at the public, particularly those with a low level of health literacy, using wide-ranging media and distribution channels; and by professionals in contact with the public: health, social and community workers, using positive, engaging, empowering but reassuring communication with the population in order to limit the anxiety-inducing effect.