Ways to stay safe shopping during COVID-19

Sam Richards
Authored by Sam Richards
Posted Thursday, April 2, 2020 - 8:25am

Everybody is ordered to stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic. Lockdowns mean that only limited trips outside the house are permitted. Namely, you’re allowed to shop at supermarkets and stores for essential items.

But the problem is, this means that your risk of catching the coronavirus may be present in stores. This means you need to be careful when you’re shopping. Here are some times on how you can stay safe.

Stay Two Metres Away from Shoppers

Try your best to practice social distancing when you’re in your local store. This may be difficult if the shop is busy. But it’s essential to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Therefore, try to stay two metres away from other shoppers in the aisles and from staff. This is going to take some patience if somebody is at the food you need. But be sure to wait your turn and your time will come.

Do Not Touch Your Face

It is easy to touch your mouth or nose without thinking about it. However, to avoid contracting coronavirus when you are out shopping, make a conscious effort not to. This can prevent particles that may be present on your hands from infecting you. If you think a mask will stop you touching your face, consider purchasing one.

Carry Hand Sanitiser

One of the most important things you can do is wash your hands. Everybody’s telling you to scrub your hands after you have touched anything outside of your home. The same notion applies after you’ve been shopping. It’s possible for the virus to survive on surfaces for several days. Therefore, carrying hand sanitiser and washing your hands regularly can help reduce the risk of infection. One problem is that hand sanitiser may be hard to purchase as it’s in demand. But the good news is that a lot of businesses are investing to help out. For example, gin factories have now switched their production to make hand sanitisers. Investors, such as Tej Kohli may also back other efforts made for production during COVID-19.

Do Not Bring the Family

During lockdown, you’re allowed to go out with members of your household. But this doesn’t mean you should bring the whole family shopping. This is risking infection and it may be harder to achieve social distancing in stores when there are money people. It’s best to venture to the shops on your own. This allows you to follow the rules without worrying about family members, especially children.

Plan Ahead with Delivery Services

One of the best ways to lower the risk of exposure during the coronavirus pandemic is to use delivery services. You can order your essentials so they’re delivered straight to your door. A lot of companies now do contactless delivery so you don’t have to see anybody. Just make sure that you plan ahead with a delivery. The slots are getting booked up fast and you want to make sure you don’t run out of the things that you need.

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