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Night Clubs, Large Weddings, Church Services And Indoor Dining Are Among The Riskiest Summer Activities

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Summer is here but which traditional activities are safe?

Night clubs, indoor church services, large weddings and indoor restaurant dining are among the riskiest.

"It's a lot more people, it's a lot more strangers. And in a lot of situations, it's a lot closer contact," says Dr. Brian Lamb, an internist at the Allegheny Health Network.

Outbreaks have been reported in all of these settings.

"In Germany, there's an outbreak associated with church service. There was an outbreak in America associated with choir practice, with funerals. And in Southeast Asia, when they started to open some of the night clubs up and some of the restaurants up, huge outbreaks," says Dr. Lamb.

To decrease the risk, don't use the ketchup bottle on the table, consider an outdoor wedding with fewer than 10 guests or have a backyard barbecue where everyone brings their own food and plates with one other family which has been socially distancing.

"Limiting the number of people that we socialize with. Knowing with yours and knowing where it came from," Dr. Lamb said. "Plastic utensils, paper plates, things you can throw away, things people don't have to touch."

According to Dr. Lamb, certain activities are in the medium to high-risk ranges.

Air travel: "Even with masks on, that's really high density of strangers that you don't know, sharing the same air, sharing the same space. It's probably still in one of the high-risk categories."

Hotels: "Depends on the cleanliness of the hotel. It's still a little bit risky, you don't know who was in there before."

Beaches and pools: "How do you stay away from everyone else when you are there? How many times have you ever passed a public pool or beach didn't see it crowded? And it's that crowd we really have to avoid."

Playgrounds and amusement parks: "You're touching a lot of stuff, which a lot of other people have touched as well."

Solo outdoor exercise and camping are among the safest activities, according to Dr. Lamb.

For any summer activity, the risk will depend on the number of people, how close together you'll be and for how long.

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