These Are The 10 New Rules Of Social Distancing Shopping Today!
From what shoes to wear to what accessories to avoid, here are some ways to help keep you and your community safe as you shop post-quarantine.
As quarantine restrictions slowly lift across the Philippines, malls and shops are finally starting to re-open. While this is great news for our cabin fever, we also have to be extra vigilant to protect our personal and collective health.
Here are some practical things you can do to stay safe as you start to shop and venture out to malls.
1. Wear a face mask properly at all times
Just because the enhanced community quarantine has been modified, does not mean the threat of the virus has eased up. When leaving the house, especially to go to a public place, wear a face mask. This means making sure your nose and mouth are fully covered during the entire time you are not in your home. Since all malls are requiring that customers wear face masks, invest in a few, if you haven’t already.
2. Have a pair of go-to going out shoes
While you may be desperate to wear all your favorite footwear now that you have a chance to, it’s best to stick assign one reliable pair as your “going out” shoes. Pick a pair that is sturdy and easy enough to wash over and over again. This will simplify your disinfection process after you get home from the mall.
3. Wear full-coverage footwear with good traction
Since most malls will install disinfecting foot baths at their entrance, avoid wearing open-toed shoes so the disinfectant doesn’t impact your bare feet. You will also want to opt for shoes with good traction since the soles will be wet, and possibly slippery, once you walk through the disinfectant-soaked mat.
4. Avoid unnecessary accessories
Leave your watch, earrings, rings, necklaces, and other dangly accessories at home. These can be unwitting carriers of the virus. Plus, they’re a nuisance to have to clean every time you come home.
5. Trade your bulky wallet for a sleek cardholder
Knowing that cash could be a vector for the virus, now is the time to consider going cashless. Exchange your usual wallet for a cardholder to encourage you to take advantage of your debit or credit card, while also reducing the surface area of what you’ll have to clean later on.
6. Use cloth tote bags
Dig up those eco-bags you’ve been stockpiling the last couple of years. Not only is this the more environmentally friendly way to shop, but you can also easily throw into the washing machine after a shopping trip.
7. Bring hand sanitizer or alcohol
Even though malls are doing their best to disinfect railings, door handles, and buttons as often as every 30 minutes, it’s best to be vigilant. Bring 70% alcohol or hand sanitizer on your shopping trip, and use it every time you put your hand on something that others touch.
8. Invest in a waterproof poncho or jacket
As rainy season approaches, find yourself a water resistant poncho or raincoat that can double as monsoon protection as well as easy-to-disinfect outerwear. The plastic or nylon material will be easy to wipe down so you can conveniently reuse it.
9. Stay six feet apart
Pay attention to social distancing cues as you shop. Expect some malls to implement one-way foot traffic using directional arrows. Others will mark the ground to show where customers should stand in relation to others.
10. Consider shopping online
Many stores are ramping up their ability to serve customers online, so consider continuing to shelter in place unless absolutely necessary (especially if you feel unwell!), in order to prevent an upsurge in Covid-19 cases as restrictions continue to be lifted.
Art by Raff Colmenar