Coronavirus: See how this community came together while carrying out Social distancing

If you do not want the Army on the streets restricting your movements, if you want to stay safe and healthy, if you want others to remain healthy then do your civic duty and practice Social distancing.

Governments around the world are advising people to socially distance themselves in order to reduce pressures on health services and stop the spread of coronavirus Covid-19.

Social distancing does not mean you have to be a prisoner in your own home. Social distancing is about being responsible to yourself and community at large. 

Social distancing isn’t some external concept that applies only to work and school. Social distancing is really extreme. It is a concept that disconnects us physically from each other. It profoundly reorients our daily life habits. And it is very hard. We have all these built-in human needs and desires because we are social creatures who connect with each other, and I think one of the profound challenges, and one of the ways we will know whether we are meeting this crisis head-on, is whether we can sustain this very unnatural—from a human perspective—physical separateness.

But I want to really emphasise that social distancing is really about that physical separation. It is not—and, in fact, it won’t work if it means—an actual disconnection socially from each other, which would have tremendous, tremendous effects pretty much on everybody, but especially kids and the elderly and other vulnerable populations. we can do this and it does not have to be a sentence.

Social distancing-Social dancing

Nicole Jordan Burnett and friends didn’t let social distancing curb their St. Patrick’s day celebrations in fact they turned it into a community activity that got the entire street on its feet.  

Nicole’s Facebook video was so inspirational that Coleen Nolan from loose women re-posted the great video on her Instagram not just for the extra royalties from the song playing the Nolans classic party starter – I’m In the Mood for Dancing. That’s a real working class community showing real spirit and humour in the face of adversity.

Social distancing may be needed for ‘most of year’

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) recommended alternating between more and less strict measures for most of a year.

Strict measures include school closures and social distancing for everyone.

The advisory group also stresses the need to promote a sense of collectivism in a modern-day spin on “Keep Calm and Carry On”. “All messaging should reinforce a sense of community, that ‘we are all in this together’. This will avoid increasing tensions between different groups,” the documents say.

In papers that date from mid-February to the present, the group also considers issues ranging from public disorder to the psychology of self-isolation and potential social impacts of school closures. One paper outlines the potential for unintended consequences and the need to be clear about the purpose of school closures to prevent children from continuing to mix or grandparents taking on childcare responsibilities.

Some social and workplace norms will need to be rapidly overturned. For instance, for many healthcare workers it is the norm that people continue to work when unwell. “It will be important to make it socially unacceptable to attend work or school if unwell,” the documents say.

TO AVOID THE RISK OF STIGMA, ‘VOLUNTARY QUARANTINE’ SHOULD BE PORTRAYED AS AN ACT OF ALTRUISTIC CIVIC DUTY.

An assessment of the chances of public disorder, drawn up in February, concluded that while “large-scale rioting” seemed unlikely, any disorder was likely to be generated by anger at the government’s response rather than the direct effects of the pandemic.

What is social distancing?

Social distancing measures are steps you can take to reduce the social interaction between people. This will help reduce the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19).

They are:

1. Avoid contact with someone who is displaying symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19). These symptoms include high temperature and/or new and continuous cough
2. Avoid non-essential use of public transport, varying your travel times to avoid rush hour, when possible
3. Work from home, where possible. Your employer should support you to do this. Please refer to employer guidance for more information
4. Avoid large gatherings, and gatherings in smaller public spaces such as pubs, cinemas, restaurants, theatres, bars, clubs
5. Avoid gatherings with friends and family. Keep in touch using remote technology such as phone, internet, and social media
6. Use telephone or online services to contact your GP or other essential services

Everyone should be trying to follow these measures as much as is practicable.

We strongly advise you to follow the above measures as much as you can and to significantly limit your face-to-face interaction with friends and family if possible, particularly if you:

• are over 70
• have an underlying health condition
• are pregnant

This advice is likely to be in place for some weeks.

Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth

Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.

Practice respiratory hygiene

Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.

Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.

If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early

Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.

Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.

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