Haphazard sanitising

IT IS surprising – or maybe not – to learn that fewer than fifty per cent of the public is wearing masks while out in public areas.

The past two years have been difficult times for everyone while the world’s scientists and health professionals do all that they can to, arrest and eradicate this dreadfully contagious and deadly virus.

I wonder how often the bank counters and chairs and the ATM keyboards and buttons are cleaned?

How often are supermarket buggy handles sanitised? The pens on the post office counters? The handles of the post office boxes? Handles of doors leading into offices and stores and shopping malls. The list is endless.

Many people are doing their best to “do the right thing”. Some do not bother or after the first one or 200 times, they are bored and think, “oh, why bother” – or even more so, the Aussie attitude of, “It’ll be all right, mate”.

Over the past few weeks during the holiday time, I have sat in several coffee shops, restaurants, pubs and gaming rooms (yes, masked up as required) and witnessed hospitality and wait staff “wiping down”.

It is an experience unto itself. Some, not all, only give the surface a token wipe over. No one wipes down the sides of tables, bar counter edges or gaming machines fronts. Not many people wipe down the screen and the keyboard of the gaming machines, and absolutely no one, no one, wipes down the chair handles.

The whole sanitising process is haphazardly carried out. Never thorough, only half heartedly done and definitely ineffectively.

Most establishments do provide hand cleaners and sanitiser wipes for their patrons, but the dispensers are few and far between.

If patrons are required to wear masks, surely the management can be more proactive and sanitise their public spaces more thoroughly. People, please stop taking this task so lightly – it is serious, deadly serious.

We must be diligent with the task at hand – we must wear the mask as it is designed to be worn, stay the required distance from other folk and wash our hands at every opportunity. We are all in this fight together. If we are to win we must work as a team. J’NETTE HARVEY, Rangeville