The holidays may very well be the cause of a spiking number of COVID-19 cases unless people reconsider plans to travel or to gather in large groups to celebrate.

That’s the warning from the governors in seven states who have come together as a bipartisan group to encourage urge everyone to mask up, follow medical experts’ advice, and do their part to eradicate COVID-19.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers made the following social media video to encourage everyone across the region to remain safe heading into the holiday season.

Doing so will protect families, frontline workers and small businesses.

“If you are planning to travel or gather with other households for the holidays – we urge you to reconsider,” the governors say. “Just one infection can cause an outbreak in your community, which could overwhelm our hospitals and put you and your loved ones at risk. We owe it to the brave men and women serving on the front lines of this pandemic to do our part and be smart this holiday season.”

The best way to protect those frontline workers and slow the spread of this virus is to double down on mask wearing, social distancing, and washing hands frequently.

“Until the vaccine is available to everyone and until we eradicate this virus once and for all, we must continue working to protect one another,” the governors say.

The governors also encouraged everyone to support local small businesses this holiday season. Those businesses need your help.

This is the second time this bipartisan group of governors has joined forces in the past month to encourage people in their region to do their part to protect our families, frontline workers, and small businesses. They did a similar video before Thanksgiving.

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