The World Health Organisation's regional branch for the Americas has recommended postponing or reducing mass gatherings during the approaching holiday season as cases surge again in many countries, Reuters reported.

“This is not the time to be hosting any large gatherings [...] during a pandemic, there is no such thing as a risk-free holiday season,” the Pan American Health Organisation's Assistant Director Jarbas Barbosa said in a briefing Religious services should be held outdoors whenever possible or limited in size, he said.

With every gathering, every shopping trip and every travel plan increasing the chances of spreading the virus, the safest option for everyone is to stay at home, Barbosa said.