WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

In general, the more closely you interact with others and the longer that interaction, the higher the risk of COVID-19 spread.

If you decide to engage in public activities, continue to protect yourself by practising everyday preventive actions.

Keep these items on hand when venturing out: a cloth face covering, tissues, and a hand sanitiser with at least 60 per cent alcohol, if possible.

As communities and businesses are opening, you may be looking for ways to resume some daily activities as safely as possible. While there is no way to ensure zero risk of infection, it is important to understand potential risks and how to adopt different types of prevention measures.

So, think about these things.

• How many people will you interact with?

• Interacting with more people raises

your risk.

• Being in a group of people who aren’t social distancing or wearing cloth face coverings increases your risk.

• Engaging with new people (e.g., those who don’t live with you) also raises your risk.

• Some people have the virus and don’t have any symptoms, and it is not yet known how often people without symptoms can transmit the virus to others.

• Can you keep six feet of space between you and others? Will you be outdoors or indoors?

• The closer you are to other people who may be infected, the greater your risk of getting sick.

• Keeping distance from other people is especially important for people who are at higher risk for severe illness, such as older adults and those with underlying medical conditions.

• Indoor spaces are more risky than outdoor spaces where it might be harder to keep people apart and there’s less ventilation.

• What’s the length of time that you will be interacting with people?

• Spending more time with people who may be infected increases your risk of becoming infected.