A ‘walking guide’ for changing times,
Experts recommend how to limit exposure while increasing outdoor time
Toronto might have felt a little freer Monday after non-essential businesses were given the green light to start serving customers via curbside pickup. That slight loosening of COVID-19 restrictions, coupled with warming weather and revised advice from city officials for residents to get outside, as long as they can do so safely, could lead to busier streets and public spaces.
Ahead of that sliver of a reopening, the Star took video footage of how Torontonians are behaving outdoors and asked experts to weigh in on whether residents are acting responsibly, as well as what people should keep in mind to protect themselves as crowding on sidewalks and parks becomes more likely.
The experts said Torontonians are mostly acting responsibly so far.
“By and large, people are two metres apart … you see people not up in each others’ faces and crowding close together,” said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, a clinician investigator at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, after viewing the footage. “It looks good to me.”
As Toronto begins to open up, here are some dos and don’ts to consider.
THE DOS
Get outside
Experts say that because there are mental and physical health benefits of leaving the house, residents shouldn’t be afraid to run errands or enjoy the fresh air, as long as they’re still practising safe social distancing.
“If you’re outside and you’re distant from another person, it’s so unlikely for this (virus) to be transmitted,” Bogoch said. Even if you get within less than the recommended two metres of someone as you pass them on the street, he advised, the risk of transmission is “so small.”
Bogoch said behaviour like that seen in the Star footage of people sunning themselves in a patch of Harbourfront green space is fine as long as parkgoers not from the same household keep two metres apart.
Ashleigh Tuite, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Toronto, said people should probably stay mobile even when keeping apart, in order to reduce the risk of any prolonged contact that could spread COVID-19.
Try to find a quiet spot
The Star footage unsurprisingly shows that places like the Martin Goodman Trail and the cherry blossoms outside Robart s Library can attract crowds. Out-of-the-way paths like the one in the southeast corner of High Park, not so much. “You have to have situational awareness … If you see a crowded or an area becoming too crowded, hey, maybe don’t go there, or wait it out until the crowds dissipate,” said Bogoch.
Run or cycle
The experts said physical exercise is still important during the pandemic, and there’s no evidence joggers or cyclists pose an additional risk to those around them.
“Keep your distance, and take all of the precautions we’re recommending for everyone else, but I don’t think a blanket ban on running and cycling at this point is warranted,” Tuite said.
Remember the basics Even as some restrictions are loosened, it’s vital residents don’t let up on the fundamental measures proven to prevent COVID-19 infections. “As excited as everybody is to start seeing things open up again, just making sure you wash your hands can make a really big difference,” said Tuite.
Dr. Jeff Kwong, a professor at U of T’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, said in outdoor situations where physical distancing isn’t always possible, it would be a good idea for people to wear masks.
“If you’re downtown, and there’s tons of people all around, then I think everyone wearing a mask in that setting would make a lot of sense,” he said.
THE DON’TS
Shop with others, if you can avoid it As more businesses start offering curbside pickup, Tuite said families should designate someone to do the shopping in order to limit the household’s exposure to the virus.
“If it’s possible for just one person in the household to go out and do errands, that’s probably ideal,” she said.
Congregate at places like crosswalks Tuite said one thing that struck her about the Star footage was that even though people were conscious of social distancing, they got bunched up as they waited for the light to change at the intersection of Strachan Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard.
“It’s a little bit of a dance in terms of negotiating where you go, but you don’t all want to be crowded at the light,” she said.
Play with other people’s dogs In these stressful times, residents may be tempted to befriend a cuddly-looking canine they meet in the park. Tuite said that’s not a good idea. There’s no conclusive evidence people can contract COVID-19 from pets, but animals can get the disease, and the virus may be able to survive for some period of time on them as it does other surfaces.
“My inclination would be to keep your hands off of other people’s animals,” Tuite said.