A Guide to be Safe while Cities reopen

All countries have tried to slow the spread of the virus through several months of lockdown and quarantines. However, it is seen that the economic, social and psychological difficulties of stopping life have begun to prevail. Therefore, while slowing the spread of the virus, a process of normalization has emerged that will also recover our financial and psychological health.

In this reopening process, people want to re-engage in non-mandatory activities without abandoning measures. In doing so, of course, it is necessary to weigh the risks and demands on a scale. We are now finished with a period that states will stop with strict bans, and people have to decide for themselves what is safe for them from now on.

For this reopening process, we sought answers to some of your questions in line with the warnings of the experts.

-       Is it still necessary to pay attention to the 1.5 meter rule?

Yes. As difficult as it is, we should definitely not be as close as we used to be when we called it “the new normal”. In fact, the 1.5 meter rule alone is not a miraculous protector. The further away we are, the better, actually.

Moreover, the mask, hygiene and distance trio, which we call the basic measures to slow the spread of the virus, must be absolutely maintained. In the new normal period, you should wash your hands regularly, use hand sanitizers outside, avoid touching your face, wear a mask, and stay home if you have symptoms of illness.

-       How can I decide how long to maintain the measures for myself?

This depends entirely on your own health, your age, your existing illnesses and how much risk you can take and how much you need to do the activity for which you take the risk. Of course, another important factor is the possibility of how much risk you can pose to the people living and working with you.

MEETING WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILIES

-       Can I see my friends or family? Can I hug them?

Yes, you can meet them, but with caution and social distancing. Be careful to meet outdoors, especially in suitable weather. These can be streets, picnics, seaside, open-air cafes and restaurants, gardens, parks. If you need to meet your loved ones indoors, make sure the windows are open and the space is well ventilated.

Often outdoors are safer than indoors because they are natural ventilation environments, are more open to daylight and provide more space for people to maintain distance. None of this can completely prevent the transmission of the virus, but it will reduce the risk at a high level.

As for the other question, absolutely not. You must not hug your friends, family and loved ones.

-       Can grandparents meet their grandchildren?

It is entirely up to you to answer that question. Because the main carriers of the virus are asymptomatic (asymptomatic) young people and children, and the elderly are the most serious risk group for covid-19 disease; in fact, this is not a very good idea. Therefore, you should ensure that they meet only when necessary and cautiously. When you meet them, you must comply with the 1.5 meter distance rule and, if possible, meet outdoors.

-       Should I go for a walk or a park with my friends?

Yes, it is much safer to meet outside than at your friend's house. All you have to do is be careful not to get as close and wear a mask as you normally do. Do not forget to bring your own sheets and food for meetings such as parks or picnics. Foods are not contagious, but touching the same things is risky.

-       How crowded areas should I be in?

This is still not a good time for a house party or indoor entertainment. You can participate in activities as long as they are outdoors and not too crowded. Giving any number is not very accurate because the main issue is more about the density of the environment than the number of people. Experts say activities such as singing concerts, choirs and environments such as the highly shouted stadium are the most risky places. According to the studies, the virus is transmitted much more easily in environments where this type of breathing and saliva spread is high. In calmer environments where people can hear each other, the virus spreads less.

-       Can I increase the number of people I have close contact with?

The main purpose of the slogan ”stay home" was to ensure that we were in close contact with the people you lived with at most. But if you live alone and cannot bear the social isolation, it is okay to talk to a limited number of people. Keep in mind that every new person you meet brings not only the risks they carry, but also the risks of other people they come into contact with.

-       How close can I be to my wife, fiancée, lover?

The 1.5 meter rule probably will not work in your relationship with your loved one. But it will be safe for you to know the other person, to know the risks they carry, to know where they are in their daily lives. It is not very advisable to be very close to someone you just met from day one at a time like this. If you are in the process of becoming a new lover with someone, we recommend waiting until you are safe and comfortable getting into each other's space.

-       Can I eat in a restaurant?

If the tables are sufficiently separate, it is safe to eat in a restaurant as long as you and the employees wear a mask (when you are not at the table or go to the toilet). Especially if the restaurant you go to has outdoor use, you can be even more comfortable. You can gently warn waiters and other restaurant employees when they are not wearing masks. But keep in mind that restaurant employees are much more at risk than you are and are doing a more stressful job than you eating. In any case, they are in closer contact with more people both indoors and outdoors of the restaurant. They know better than you that it is riskier for them not to wear masks. Regardless, it is a socially healthier process to be generous and polite to service personnel, employees, waiters, couriers and those who bring food to your door in such periods.

-       Can I go shopping?

Especially since we have not shopped in a long time, we may have some urgent needs. Therefore, be sure to go shopping wearing a mask. If you find a store or mall crowded, do not spend time there and choose other places. Stores may have some rules specific to this period within themselves, like taking in a limited number of customers. In such cases, it is important to respect the rules. As long as you follow these guidelines, the risk of infection will be minimized. However, as in the restaurant experience, the risks in getting used to it are never zero.

-       Can I get a haircut at the hairdresser or the barber?

You can do it discreetly. Barbers and hairdressers are places where there is very close contact and intense conversation. So be sure to wear a mask when you go to places like this, both your hairdresser and yourself.

-       Can I go to the dentist?

If you have an emergency dental problem, of course you should go. But if you are thinking of leaving because of aesthetic anxiety, it would be better for you to postpone it.

-       Is it risky for me to start working in the office again?

If the space of your workplace is suitable for this, be sure to work at your desk in a seating arrangement where you provide adequate social distance. You and all your co-workers wearing masks will minimize the risks. In addition, if you have symptomatic colleagues, you can create public opinion in the workplace about their work from home. Apart from this, you can put plastic barriers between the working tables. At the same time, use common areas in your workplace (such as dining hall, toilet, meeting room) as far away as possible. Try sending an email and video conversations instead of face-to-face interviews and wash your hands frequently.

-       Should I use public transport?

If this is your only option, you can use it carefully. If you have a car, it will be safer for you and for other people who have to use public transport. Always wear a mask when driving vehicles such as subway, metrobus, tram, bus, collective taxi. Travel where you can be more distant than others, if possible. For transportation vehicles with open spaces such as ferries and engines, choose to travel outdoors.

-       Can I travel between cities by car or plane?

If you need to go somewhere urgently, you can go. If you can drive, it willl be safer than traveling by plane. If you are going by plane, make sure that all other passengers on the plane wear masks. Sometimes a 1-hour flight can be safer than a 12-hour drive. As a result, be aware that there may be risk factors in places where you take a break for food or toilet needs when traveling by car.

If you do not necessarily have to go somewhere long-distance, you may choose not to. As a result, this is a period when everyone should not go wherever they want. When you go away from home, you will not feel more comfortable on the ground if the virus gets infected than at home. You also have the possibility of carrying the virus. Above all, if you get sick during such pandemic periods, being treated in a health institution you know will make you feel much more comfortable. If you want to travel a lot, there is no harm in going for a walk in nature areas that are not crowded such as parks, gardens and camps, where you are not far from home.

-       Can I go to the beach or to the pool?

Yes, as long as you keep yourself at a certain distance from other people. This applies both inside and outside the water. No expert claims the virus is contaminated with water; the risk is more about being too close to other people. Therefore, you should be cautious in areas such as pools rather than in public and indoor environments such as changing rooms.

-       Can I go to the movies or the theater?

If the movie or theater you are watching is full or crowded, it may not be a good idea to go there. Such indoor environments are environments where a large number of people spend a long time side by side. If you still want to go, go especially to the halls where the seats are left and be sure to wear a mask.

-       Can I take my kids to the playground?

Normally, assuming that children are not as cautious by nature as we are, there is a risk that they will pass out and come into too much contact with each other while playing. But if you still do not want to deprive them of it, you can take them to the playgrounds, provided they wear masks and wash their hands after the games.

-       Should I force old people who are close to me in my life, who I am obliged to take care of or who I love, not to leave the house?

Covid-19 is, as everyone knows, a much more deadly disease, especially for the elderly population. Therefore, they need to be much more cautious than young people. Elderly people are people who have more chronic diseases than young people, who have already started to have permanent diseases such as heart, sugar, blood pressure, liver. Unfortunately, the coronavirus makes it easier for people with this type of chronic illness to die.

Therefore, you are right to be concerned about the elderly you love or are obliged to look after. Feeling their responsibility and warning them is part of your conscience, and no one can doubt that you want what is best for them. But it is important to remember that old people are not children. They are probably more dramatically affected than us in terms of psychology when they need to be exposed to too much isolation, such as the pandemic, at this late stage of their lives. In this respect, elderly people spending the last stages of their lives doing what they want - of course, without abandoning the precaution, will increase their quality of life. We must not underestimate their own free will and strike a good balance between safety and quality of life. If people are in a mental state to make decisions about what might be right for them, our job is not to stop them from doing what they want, but to help them do it in the safest way possible.

As a result, you can minimize the risk by implementing all these measures when returning to “new normal". However, there will always be a risk of transmission in all these collective activities. Keep in mind that the later you get Covid-19, the more likely you are to get it in a period when treatments are improved and the healthcare system and its employees gain more experience.