Are you returning to work after the withdrawal of the two-month-long coronavirus lockdown period? The new Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) might continue its destruction of humanity in the upcoming months. Though scientists are on the hunt for vaccines, nobody knows when it will be available for mass people. On the other hand, it is quite unfeasible for any government to impose a lockdown for an unlimited time. Now the new-normal life would be returning to regular lifestyle and resuming respective livelihood activities maintaining precautions. In this article, we are going to discuss some post lockdown safety precautions to prevent COVID19 contraction.

Individual Safety Precautions

- Carry Self Protective Gears

Whenever you step outside the home, wear a clean face mask properly. For additional safety, you can wear face-shields, Goggles, and head-cover. Don’t forget to carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer or soap in your pocket or handbag. Stay away from wearing any metallic accessories like watches, jewelry, etc. Wear clothes which you can wash after returning home. To avoid virus contraction, the service-holder persons can carry bags that are washable or easily cleanable with wipes.

- Food Safety Precautions

The service-holder people tend to visit tea stalls and local restaurants during their tea-break and launch hours. The virus contamination can happen through food, utensils, and common spaces at the restaurant. It would be wise to carry your food and water from home.

Read: Where to Buy Grocery Online in Dhaka during Quarantine?

However, if you still want to eat out in a restaurant or tea stall, make sure that your teacup, or plate, or spoons have been properly washed before serving. Preferably, visit tea stalls/ food stores that provide disposable cups/ plates. Besides this, tobacco consumption in public spaces enhances your risk of virus contraction.

Read: Are Smokers More Vulnerable to COVID19?

- Smartphone Safety Precautions

In today’s world, the mobile phone has become an inseparable part of our life. We can hardly spend an hour without using a Smartphone. However, try not to touch your phone without sanitizing your hand. Don’t place your phone over a common surface that has been contacted by other people. You can put your Smartphone in a Ziploc bag while traveling outside your home. While you return home, don’t allow your kids to touch the Smartphone before sanitizing it properly.

Read: Is Your Smartphone a Silent Killer? Effects of Excessive Mobile Use

Social Safety Precautions

- Maintain Social Distance

Try to avoid any place where people are gathering without maintaining at least 3-feet of distance.  You may need to go out of home for emergency purposes. Just like you, many other people are roaming outside. Whether you are jogging on the road, or waiting at the bus station, or visiting a bank, or shopping at the grocery store, try to avoid the crowd.

- Avoid Crowded Places

Plan your daily schedules skillfully, so that you can avoid crowded places. For instance, you can complete your outside task during the early office-hours. Opt for electronic systems to pay your bills instead of standing in lines. It would be safe if you can buy regular grocery items, food, and medicine from online grocery shops, and pharmacies. However, if you still need to visit physical stores, try to visit a less crowded grocery store and do the grocery shopping weekly.

Read Online Pharmacy: Where to Buy Medicine in Dhaka during Coronavirus Home Quarantine.

- Avoid Unmasked People

As an individual, you are a part of society. Besides opting for personal safety precautions you need to encourage other people to wear face-masks. However, if some people deny wearing masks you can deny their service too. For instance, don’t ride on a bus, or CNG, or Rickshaw if the driver is not wearing a mask. In the same way, don’t buy from a grocery shop, where the grocer is not wearing any face mask.

Read: How to Shop and Disinfect Groceries Safely during COVID19 Pandemic.

If you are a shop owner or grocer, ask your customer to put on a face-mask. Furthermore, in your workplace encourage your colleagues and office attendants to wear masks. If possible, you can carry some extra fresh face-masks to offer your friend, colleague, or other people who need them.

Transport Safety Precautions

- Avoid Rush Hour

The best way to avoid COVID19 contraction is to work from home. However, if you are bound to join the office, consult with your authority, and try to re-organize your work schedules. Keep in mind that during the rush hours there would be excessive people on the road. Furthermore, there might be a scarcity of vehicles in rush hours. If possible choose office hour when the traffic would be low.      

- Avoid Crowded Public Transport

To secure the health-safety of mass people, our Government has imposed strict rules to the main distance in public transport. However, this decision has led to increasing transport fare in one way. In another way, it has become more difficult for people to ride on a mode of transport on time.

Don’t ride on a crowded bus, where the imposed safety rules have been violated. It would be wise if you can manage an alternative to public transports. For instance, you can commute some distance by walking. If possible, manage another kind of vehicle, like rickshaws, motorcycle, or CNG until the morbidity of the Corona Virus situation comes to an end.

- Precautions in Public Transport

What if, your workplace is far away from home? If you have no other choice but to opt for public transport to commute to the office, then take proper safety precautions. Try not to touch the handles, seat, window shield, or other common spots on the bus. Maintain personal precautions like wearing Mask, face-shield, hand gloves, Goggles, etc. while you travel through any public transport.

Workplace Safety Precautions                   

- Distancing at Workplace

Consult with your authority to re-organize desks at your workplace to maintain distance among the employees and staff. It would be wise if the work-hours can be divided into several shifts to limit the number of employees per shift. It is recommended to maintain distance while you communicate with colleagues at the workplace.

- Cleaning Desk

Wipe your work-desk and other touchable surfaces (like a computer keyboard, mouse, headphone, pen drive, etc.) with a piece of clean cloth or tissue before you start working. Try to minimize your exposure to unclean surfaces. For instance, many of us have a common habit of leaning elbows on the work-desk or leaning on the wall while standing or touching the seat-handles while seating, etc. Try to be careful about what you touch. 

Read: Essential Hygiene Practices to Prevent Coronavirus Contamination.

- Sanitizing Common Places

The proper sanitizing procedures should be maintained at the entrance and reception area of every office, and service station. In the workplace, the commonly touchable spaces like floor space, washroom faucets, lift-buttons, door-knobs, door-handles, AC remote, etc should be sanitized properly from time to time. You and your colleagues can supervise those issues by rotation or consult the authority to engage a person who can carry out these sanitizing procedures in a proper way.

Read How to Use Ridesharing Vehicles Safely during COVID19 Pandemic