How to Avoid COVID-19

Ok, so, we're going back to Phase 3 Step 1 in MA and in my regular update yesterday I pointed out why this is not enough.  But what should people be doing?  What are safe activities when the state is promoting risky behavior?  Let's go through the basics:

• By far, the most important thing is to stay away from people and particularly indoors.
• If you can, just stay home.  Get groceries delivered.  
• Support your local restaurants by ordering delivery.  Best form of delivery is where they drop it off and you come out after they've left, but delivery where you meet them on the porch is better than going inside with someone outside your household.  Takeout from a restaurant is ok as well, the point is to not spend time inside with others.  DO NOT DINE IN
• If you have to go to a store, make a list of what you need and stick to it.  Plan out the optimal path through the store so you spend less time inside with others.
• Don't invite guests over to your house.
• Backyards are significantly better than inside, but even then, don't meet too many people.  We'll come back to bubbles later.
• Don't go over to other people's houses (dropping things off on the porch is fine but please don't visit inside)
• Oh, and indoors includes in a car, so if you can avoid getting in cars with people, that would be best.  If you have to be in a car, have the windows open when the weather permits.
• Where. A. Mask! (while around people who are not from within your household)
• Yes, even when talking to someone.
• Yes, even when outside.
• Yes, even when working out (not in your house)
• Even when masked, stay at least 6 feet away from people.
• Yes, even ... you get it right?
• "But people have caught COVID-19 while wearing a mask"... ok, 1) this is a preventative measure, not something that stops COVID-19 completely. 2) my mask protects you, your mask protects me.  The person wearing the mask may not know they are sick but wearing it helps prevent potential spread to others.  Keep in mind that we can be contagious and not know we're sick yet (including not yet having symptoms).
• Sports? Not if you are indoors and/or getting close to each other.  Golf and outdoor tennis are great because they allow participants to stay apart, but monitor yourself before/after the match to ensure you're not coming close to each other.  Remember that it's not just during the time that you're playing the sport but just any time you're breathing at all.
• Manage your bubble
• Everyone in your residence is in your bubble, that's fine.  There's really no easy way to avoid catching COVID-19 from someone who lives with you.
• After that comes the people you and your residence see.  Yes, that's right, if you have a child that visits with someone, that's the same as you visiting with someone.  Try to keep the number of people in this level to a minimum.  If you must visit with people, do your best to confirm they have the same list of people they're visiting with that you do (and recognize that people lie or downplay things so you may not really know).  Why is it important that the people you visit with are only visiting with people on your list? because...
• After the people you and your residence visit with comes the people those people visit with.  The network continues to build out from there and the only thing that separates you is the number of days since the last contact was made.  Your friend's friend's friend's friend's friend's friend's friend's brother's friend's friend got COVID-19 and each connection in that path had a visit in the last 10 days?  You're now at risk.  This is why the more networks we have in place the riskier things get.

Stay safe. Stay sane. Stay informed. STAY SAFE AND PROTECT OTHERS!