The country is in high alert over the rapid spread of the Coronavirus and health officials are urging the general public to stay at home as Luzon goes on an enhanced community quarantine. Take the time to read up on some of the things you can and can’t do to make sure you’re doing your part to combat the virus and prevent its spread.

You can’t go to public places such as malls and restaurants.

The goal for social distancing is to make little to no contact with other humans to protect yourself from possible infection. All malls have been asked to close except for necessities such as groceries, pharmacies, and banks because now isn’t the best time to expose one’s self in large, crowded and fully air-conditioned environments where people are forced to be in close proximity with each other. 

You can go grocery shopping.

Food and supplies are a necessity. What’s the point of staying in quarantine if you don’t have enough to sustain yourself? It’s important though, to be aware of the risks of exposing yourself to places like the grocery store. Chances are, you’re going to be elbow to elbow with complete strangers along food aisles, you’ll be touching objects that have gone through the hands of a bunch of other people too. Keep your hands clean and sanitized and prevent yourself from touching your face. Make it a point to stay at least a meter away from people when you can. But if you’re feeling ill, have pre-existing respiratory conditions or are over 60, it’s best to have someone else do the shopping for you.

You can’t travel.

Most areas in the Philippines are under the enhanced community quarantine and for a good reason. Public transportation such as busses and trains have been suspended, and checkpoints are also stationed all over the metro. Inbound and outbound flights will be allowed only until the 20th of March. If you’re traveling for work in a private car, it’s best to ask yourself if it’s worth the trouble of going through countless checkpoints as a response to the outbreak.

You can still keep healthy.

If you go to the gym frequently, now wouldn’t be such a good time to stick to that routine. Keeping healthy in a time when a global pandemic is ravaging our immune system is certainly a good idea. The bad news though is that while some gym-goers might look and feel healthy while they’re out doing their workout, it isn’t a guarantee that they don’t carry the virus with them. When you’re at the gym, you have no other choice but to use the same equipment everybody else is using, putting yourself at risk of contracting the disease. Now’s the best time to stay put and craft a new workout routine to do at home.

DO practice Social Distancing

While it is highly discouraged to leave the premises of your home during this time of crisis, sometimes cabin fever can make even the most focused individuals succumb to their urges, and of course there are necessities like groceries and medicines that are only accessible outside. So if you absolutely must go out during the enhanced community quarantine, please exercise social distancing by keeping yourself at least one metre away from other people.

This quarantine came with a lot of adjustments on our day to day live. It's definitely challenging but it’s one of the biggest things we can do to curb its growth. And the sooner we put that into practice, the faster we pull ourselves out of this global pandemic.