Cases of coronavirus infection continue to spread. In response, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a number of recommendations to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. Many local governments have followed suit, placing limits on public gatherings as part of whats known as social distancing .

In California, for instance, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) ordered that gatherings of 250 people or more should be postponed or canceled at least through the end of March. Similarly, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced an indefinite ban on all gatherings of 500 or more.

These numbers arent based on any one set of data; theyre general estimates meant to put the kibosh on major events that could spread the new virus in an explosive fashion. That doesnt mean that a gathering of, say, 249 people is free and clear from risk of exposure or that hosting an intimate dinner party is automatically a good idea.

There is no specific number of the people to say, All right, yes, you can go to a gathering where there are only five or 10 people, for example, said Muhiuddin Haider , a clinical professor of global health at the University of Maryland. The major principle is that we are trying to reduce the transmission.

So if you want to do your part to slow the spread of the coronavirus, you might be wondering what is and isnt safe to do. Heres a look at how careful you really need to be and what plans you should cancel.

What is social distancing, and how does it stop the spread of coronavirus?