Stay Safe! – A common statement that you’d usually receive from your family, friends, and loved ones during the quarantine period. If you were already cautious even before COVID-19 hit our nation, then obviously it may be easier for you to adjust to the “new normal,” but if you were as carefree and complacent as in the previous years, then perhaps there are more steps that you must take in order to prevent acquiring the virus at all cost. Now, you might have been reading news articles, magazine interviews, and social media notifications from health experts about the indications and precautionary measures that you must take when going about your daily life. While some of them are simple enough to follow, most of them may have been explained better, owing to the fact that not all health experts are fluent speakers when it comes to translating complicated keywords into layman’s term. But no need to worry, as we at Cebuana Lhuillier have always been concerned about the welfare and safety of our beloved customers and patrons, and we have compiled a few of the dos and don’ts when it comes to adjusting to the “new normal.” Here are things to consider before, during, and after going about your daily errands during the pandemic.
young Asian woman wearing protection mask against Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) or Wuhan coronavirus at public train station,is a contagious virus that causes respiratory infection.Healthcare concept
Before heading out:
- Prepare the necessary protective gear and items.
By now, you may have already been oriented about the importance of wearing a good, protective mask when heading outdoors. Some would choose re-washable cloth masks, while others may prefer to avail N95 masks for their daily ordeals, but out of all these choices, a surgical mask would always be a better option. Experts would always tell you that each side of the surgical mask has a purpose, and they’re not wrong. Wearing your mask properly would protect you in the long run. Aside from that, planning out your route before heading out would save you ample time and money, especially as the government has implemented various reroutes and policies when it came to outdoor activities, so be informed at all times. Prepare a shopping list before going out for restocks, consult your family members about the things that they’d need for the upcoming weeks and months. No do overs, no repetitive travels, as the longer you stay outdoors, the bigger your chances are of catching the infection. And also, do not forget to bring a small bottle of alcohol, make it a habit to disinfect your hands every once in a while. Do the same with your money, spray a bit in your coin purse just to be sure.
- If you’re heading outdoors with a ride, make sure that it’s in perfect condition to travel, regardless of distance and weather.
May it be a car or a motorcycle, make sure that it’s fueled up and well-maintained. If not, you may find yourself stranded in the middle of the road, and it’s the last thing you’d want to happen, especially during a pandemic. Check if the engine’s running well, check if the tires have an ample amount of air, check the emission, etc.
While outdoors:
- If you happen to come across friends or familiar people while outdoors, avoid hugs or handshakes.
We know, it’s frustrating and you haven’t seen them for a few months, but not shaking their hands would at least protect you both, giving you more healthy opportunities in the future to meet up and finally shake hands once the virus dies down. A simple nod, short conversation (while social distancing, of course), and even a salute would at least let them know that you miss them and that you are looking forward to meeting them again after the quarantine period.
- Avoid touching any surfaces as much as possible.
All establishments (including malls and groceries) were mandated by the government to disinfect their areas regularly. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you should confidently and carelessly touch all of the railings and tables that you’d come across outside your home. As much as possible, avoid holding or touching anything else other than the items that you’re going to avail when going for supplies. Remember, COVID-19 isn’t an airborne virus, it is transmitted by touch. If an infected person were to touch or cough towards a particular surface, the virus would remain on that same surface for a certain amount of time, and being in contact with that would be very dangerous (even fatal) to any unsuspecting bystanders.
Before re-entering your home:
- Make sure that you’ve properly disinfected your hands before touching anything else indoors.
The thing about viruses is that they can’t be seen by the naked eye, and by the time that you or others have been fully infected, it may already be too late. COVID-19, in particular, has a certain incubation period, meaning that you wouldn’t feel the symptoms until after a week or two. When that happens, the virus may have already spread among your loved ones. To avoid that, make sure that you spray a lot of disinfectant on your hands. Wash them again with soap just to be sure. If that’s not enough, immediately put your outdoor clothes in the laundry basket and take a bath to fully clean off any unwanted germ or microbe which may have attached itself on you while you were outdoors.
- Spray and disinfect the grocery items before taking them indoors.
Of course, you can’t do this with fast food items, unless you want your chicken to taste like isopropyl alcohol. What you can do for fast food items, may it be delivered, picked up or bought for take-out, you can re-heat it in the microwave or oven as advised as a safety precaution to prevent getting the virus. Spray those canned goods and plastic-wrapped items such as chips, pasta shells, sugar, etc. Any item which is well-covered could be disinfected, any food item bought with openings should be wiped clean instead. Just make sure that you left no stones unturned. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
Now, understandably, you may want to handle all of your errands within the comfort of your home. Of course, who would want to get out if there’s a rampant virus on the loose? Many of us have been “working-from-home” since the quarantine period began, but not a lot of errands would allow you to accomplish that. There are still many paperwork tasks which may require you to get out of the house, wait in line, and wait for your name to be called by the cashier or establishment representative. One major example would be money remittance, a process etched in traditional means that the average Filipino can only dream of accomplishing it in other convenient ways. Fortunately, Cebuana Lhuillier came up with a solution that would cater to all of their long-time customers and patrons. Introducing the all-new Cebuana from Home! It is an online service which would enable customers to accomplish Cebuana Lhuillier’s financial transactions remotely. No longer would people even need to leave their homes for financial transactions such as domestic remittance, insurance applications/consultations, and payments. All of these can be accomplished in just a few clicks. So instead of risking your health and well-being outdoors, check out Cebuana from Home at https://remitfromhome.cebuanalhuillier.com/.