Smart piece by @apoorva_nyc: Are small gatherings driving the Covid-19 surge, or just contributing to it? It's a nuanced question. I certainly agree we should be focused on implementing good policies, rather than blaming individuals for bad behavior. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/23/health/coronavirus-holiday-gatherings.html

I will add, though, that I spoke with local epidemiologists last week who said that based on contact tracing, it appeared that group gatherings in our region were causing most (but not all) recent cases. So I wonder if the answer varies by geography.

I also wonder if there’s truly a lack of data or if journalists just aren’t being shown it? Several health departments have told me “our cases are being driven by small gatherings” but don’t/won’t share their data. That makes it much easier to doubt, but not necessarily untrue.