A Guide to Staying Safe as States Reopen

Social Gatherings

CAN I VISIT MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY? AND CAN I GIVE THEM A HUG?

To the first question: Yes, but cautiously, while maintaining social distance. All three experts thought that it would be much safer to socialize outdoors—on patios, lawns, driveways, and so on. If you do choose to risk an indoor visit, Marr said it’s a good idea to open the windows and keep the space well ventilated.

Outdoor areas are generally safer than indoor ones because they have better ventilation, more direct sunlight, and more room for people to space themselves out—none of which completely shuts down the transmission of the virus, but all of which seem to reduce it.

Even during outdoor gatherings, it’s best not to get too close to anyone you don’t live with. “Across household boundaries, there should be six feet of distance,” Noymer said.

Sadly, this means no hugs. “There are so many friends I would love to hug right now, but it’s a no,” Carlton said.

CAN GRANDPARENTS SEE THEIR GRANDCHILDREN?

The idea of children being physically close to an older person they don’t live with made the three experts uneasy. “I know grandparents and grandchildren want to cuddle,” Marr said, but “I know I would feel horrible if we visited with grandparents and it turns out my kids ended up getting them sick, and then they died.”

So the answers are maybe and only really carefully. It’d be prudent for grandparents to stay at least six feet away from grandkids, and for visits to take place outdoors. Making exceptions to those guidelines is riskier when older adults are involved than it is with people who aren’t especially vulnerable to COVID-19.

CAN I GO ON A WALK OR HAVE A PICNIC WITH A FRIEND?

“Going for a walk with a friend in a park is probably better than hanging out in your friend’s living room,” Noymer said. Even though being outdoors is generally safer, the usual caveats apply: Don’t get as physically close as you usually would, and wear a mask.

For picnics, bring your own blanket and food—“not because food is a source of transmission,” Carlton said, “but because you [don’t want to] be touching the same items.”

Noymer and Carlton recommended keeping a six-foot distance during walks, though Marr thought being a little closer would be okay, so long as you’re walking side by side and not constantly turning to face each other.

HOW BIG OF A GATHERING CAN I HAVE?

This still isn’t the time to throw a house party, Marr advises. She thinks 10 or so people seems like a good cap for the number of people who can participate in an outdoor gathering (six feet apart, of course).

“I think more in terms of density than absolute number,” Noymer said. People should be physically spaced out, so the number also depends on the size of the space you’re meeting up in.

CAN I ATTEND A RELIGIOUS SERVICE?

“Going to a crowded church, temple, mosque, or whatever is not a great idea right now,” Carlton said. She was particularly concerned about the risks to any older attendees, and recommended finding a safer way to congregate than gathering in close quarters indoors.

Virtual services seem most prudent, but Marr thought that spaced-out, outdoor services would be okay. But she cautioned that singing might come with a higher risk of spreading the virus than talking does. Religious services “probably raise my concern more than many other things we’ve talked about, because of the singing,” she said.

CAN I EXPAND THE “BUBBLE” OF PEOPLE I INTERACT WITH CLOSELY?

It’s much safer not to, but, depending on your tolerance for risk and your need for social contact, you could consider it. The safest bubble, of course, is one that only includes you, but the people you live with are your de facto bubble-mates—meaning you get closer than six feet to one another, spend time indoors together, and break other rules that apply to interactions during a pandemic—and that’s fine.

“Part of the stay-at-home guidelines was essentially, ‘Your bubble should be your household,’” Carlton said, “and what we’re potentially shifting to is, ‘If you’re an extremely small household and really struggling with social isolation, it may be okay for you to have closer contact with a limited number of individuals.’” Restricting your bubble to just your household is still ideal, but Carlton said it’s “probably not terrible” to carefully incorporate very limited others.

Keep in mind that each person you add to your bubble brings not only their own risks, but the risks of everyone else they may be exposed to. So if you do add people to your bubble, choose them cautiously—but better to leave your bubble as is, if you can bear to.

IF I GO ON A DATE, CAN I GET CLOSER THAN SIX FEET FROM THE OTHER PERSON?

You probably shouldn’t. “If you want to kiss somebody at the end of the date, that’s inadvisable—sorry,” Carlton said. She and the other experts recommended staying a sensible distance apart on a first date. If you eventually end up starting a relationship, you’ll have to figure out when you’re comfortable becoming a part of each other’s bubble.

Dining, Shopping, and Services

CAN I EAT AT A RESTAURANT?

Probably, as long as the tables are sufficiently spaced out and the workers wear masks. Even better if the restaurant has outdoor seating.

You should wear a mask when you go, though of course you’ll have to remove it when you eat, and a restaurant with a bunch of customers not covering their faces is not ideal. “This isn’t a zero-risk scenario, and high-risk populations should proceed with caution,” Carlton said. Moreover, the risk for restaurant workers is higher than for diners, mainly because workers spend more time on the job than diners do eating.

With that in mind, it’s probably good to reflect on whether the enjoyment of being in a restaurant truly outweighs the risk to yourself and others. After all, you can still get restaurant food and support local businesses with far less risk by getting takeout or delivery instead. Whatever you choose, leave a generous tip if you’re able.

CAN I GO SHOPPING?

Shopping for essentials like groceries and medication has been allowed over the past couple of months, and as more stores reopen, the same guidelines for safe shopping apply: Wear a mask, go somewhere else if a store or mall is crowded, and turn around if the air in a space feels stuffy.

If you follow those guidelines, the risks of shopping aren’t exceptionally high, but, like with restaurants, the upside to doing it on the premises doesn’t seem worth much risk at all. Curbside pickup, a service many stores are starting to offer, is safer for all involved.

CAN I GET A HAIRCUT?

Cautiously. Because haircuts mean close physical contact and often conversation, there are real risks here. If you choose to go, both you and your haircutter should wear a mask, though you may have to remove yours temporarily if the elastic is in the way of the scissors. (Marr says it’s fine to keep up the banter while wearing a face covering.) While you won’t be able to keep six feet between you and the person cutting your hair, it’s important that other people in your vicinity aren’t any closer than that. (Also, I’d add, tip well if you can afford to.)

All that said, people will probably be understanding if you just grow your hair out or do a so-so job lopping it off yourself. Less chic, but less risky.

CAN I GO TO THE DENTIST?

If you have an urgent dental problem, yes. If you have a routine cleaning coming up, that’s a tougher call. The experts were not thrilled about the fact that patients can’t wear a mask while someone is fiddling around with their mouth, but had confidence in dentists’ procedures for minimizing the risk of infections of any kind. This one seems like it could go either way, so perhaps the deciding factor is how long you’re comfortable postponing your cleaning.

CAN I GET A TATTOO?

This doesn’t seem like a particularly pressing question, but when I asked Noymer about the tattoo parlors open in some parts of the country, he said that going to one wouldn’t be the worst option to choose from the array of activities Americans can now elect to do. “If both parties are masking, I’d rather see someone getting a tattoo than see a crowded shopping mall,” he said.

Work and Travel

IS IT SAFE TO GO BACK TO WORK IF MY WORKPLACE IS REOPENING?

This is tough to answer comprehensively, because it has to do with the specific conditions of your workplace. But the three experts suggested a number of things to look out for as indicators of safety.

In general, Carlton said, you want to be able to maintain distance on the job, and should be wary of any employer who seems to be okay with pre-pandemic levels of crowding. Workplaces are also safer if everyone is wearing a mask and if a sick-leave policy is in place that encourages workers who have symptoms to stay home. It’s encouraging if your local government has provided specific guidelines for how businesses can safely operate; you can consult those to see how your workplace’s practices compare. Lastly, Carlton recommends that people in at-risk groups have conversations with their employer and their doctor about whether it’s safe for them to return to work.

Marr said that factories will be safer if workers can keep distance between them and if they all wear masks. In offices, desks shouldn’t be close together, barriers between desks are helpful, close interactions should be kept to a minimum, and having your own office is safer.

The idea of working as a restaurant server right now gave Noymer pause. “I’m not going to give you a guarantee that it’s safe to go back to work in a job like that, even though I may give a qualified yes on the question of whether it’s safe to go as a diner,” he said.

But the experts suggested a handful of restaurant-specific tips: Have people write down their orders to cut down on face-to-face interaction with staff, make sure everyone on staff is regularly washing their hands (especially after clearing dirty dishes), and don’t transfer condiments from one table to another.

CAN I USE PUBLIC TRANSIT?

“I would use public transit if it’s the only available option to get from point A to point B,” Carlton said. “If you’re able not to use public transit, you’re in some ways making it safer for those who need to use it.”

The experts agreed that if you do get on a subway or bus, you should wear a mask, distance yourself from others, and use hand sanitizer when you disembark. But driving in a car is safer than public transit when it comes to the risk of exposure.

CAN I DRIVE OR FLY TO OTHER CITIES?

If you urgently need to go somewhere, perhaps to see a loved one who’s dying, then by all means go. If you can drive, that’s probably safer than flying, because it will expose you to fewer other people.

That said, airlines have started requiring passengers to cover their face, and “if everyone’s wearing masks, I would feel much more comfortable,” Marr said. Planes don’t seem to be so much riskier than cars that you should necessarily drive 12 hours instead of taking a 90-minute flight. (And besides, Noymer noted, on a long drive you’d probably need to stop for food, restrooms, and probably gas, which present more opportunities for exposure.)

If you don’t have to leave your current location, though, you should stay put. “This isn’t the summer to get too far away from your home-base radius,” Noymer said. There’s a risk that you’d catch the virus if you went somewhere else, just as there’s a risk that you’d spread it. Moreover, if you do have to go to the hospital (for whatever reason) during a pandemic, you probably would want to navigate a health system that you’re familiar with instead of one in another area.

Carlton recommended a simpler kind of trip for those hoping to get away this summer. “There’s nothing wrong with getting in your car, driving someplace beautiful [nearby], and going for a hike, as long as there aren’t a lot of people around,” she said.