Moving from your couch back into society is going to be a big leap for most people after more than two months of near lockdown.
Whether you’re yearning to get out or reluctant to leave the safety of your home, it’s good to know the risks.
NJ Advance Media asked Stephanie A. N. Silvera, an epidemiologist and professor at Montclair State University, to weigh in on some of the things you’re most likely to do in the coming weeks.
Eating at a restaurant (Indoor vs. Outdoor)
Outdoor dining reopened in New Jersey on June 15, with restrictions. Tables must be six feet away from each other, there is a limit of eight customers to a table, employees are required to wear face coverings and gloves, buffets and salad bars must remain closed, and signs have to be posted that say patrons with a fever or symptoms of the coronavirus shouldn’t enter.
Indoor dining was supposed to open July 2, but Murphy postponed it indefinitely because of rising cases of coronavirus in other states and crowds of knuckleheads at outdoor bars down the shore.
- “Indoor is considered high risk,” Silvera said. “Obviously there is no way for the patrons to wear face covering and eat/drink and if you are sitting down for a meal there is a prolonged exposure. If the windows are closed, then the lack of ventilation can exacerbate the risk. To reduce risk as much as possible, seating should be spaced at a minimum of 6′ apart and servers/workers should be required to wear face coverings at all time.”
- “Outdoor is a better option,” Silvera said. "While the issues with face coverings remain, if spatial distancing is possible between tables, and servers are wearing their face covering and washing their hands regularly, the risk is lower than indoor dining.
Visiting the beach or a pool
Private-club and municipal pools reopened June 22.
Health experts have said COVID-19 cannot be spread through pools as long as they are properly disinfected with chlorine and bromine, which should inactivate the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The key here is staying 6 feet from anyone you don’t live with,” Silvera said. “If that spatial distance can be maintained, most of the data indicate that this is a lower risk activity.”
Religious Service (Indoor)
Indoor religious services in New Jersey were allowed to resume as of the weekend of June 12. But they’re limited 50 people or 25% of the buildings capacity, whichever number is lower.
“This is considered a high risk,” Silvera said, “due to difficulty with spacing as well as challenges with ventilation indoors. If there is a choir, for example, the risk increases if everyone is not consistently and correctly wearing a mask as singing causes you to exhale more forcefully thus spreading respiratory droplets beyond the average of 6′. An example of this was in Washington state where a cluster of cases was found following a choir rehearsal.”
Outdoor gathering with 25 guests
Murphy increased the number of people who can gather outdoors from 10 to 25 right before Memorial Day weekend. Then it increased to 250 people on June 22. And to 500 people on July 2.
“This depends on several factors,” Silvera said.
- What are the behaviors of the guests prior to the gathering, have they been practicing social distancing and wearing a face covering? How many other individuals have they been interacting with? Keeping your social circles small is key to reducing the risk of coming in contact with the virus.
- How much space is available? If you are able to maintain spatial distancing, then the risk is going to be lower than if you are within a few feet of each other, particularly if people are not wearing face coverings.
- The recommendation, to keep risk as low as possible, would also be to have it be a BYOE- Bring Your Own Everything, including plates, cups/glasses, cutlery, etc.
Using a public bathroom
Public bathrooms at county state parks and beaches have opened, as of mid-May, in a limited capacity. And outdoor dining customers have access to indoor bathrooms when they dine out as of June 15, as long as they wear a face mask while heading inside to use the facilities.
“There is some debate as to whether this falls in the low or moderate category. But again, the key is how many people are in the bathroom at any given time and are people wearing face coverings? Because most of the surfaces in bathrooms are meant to be easily cleaned, the frequency of cleaning those bathrooms also comes into play,” Silvera said. “If there is a line, everyone should be spaced 6′ apart and washing your hands/using sanitizer after touching any communal surfaces is a must.”
Sharing a vacation home with another household
Demand is outpacing cancellations for Jersey Shore rentals, as many families are eager to escape their own home for some new scenery.
“The answer is, it depends,” Silvera said. “It depends on how carefully each family has been quarantining prior to sharing the vacation home. It also depends on where you are going. If you are going somewhere more remote where you aren’t likely to interact with other families, then the risk is lower, but if you are traveling to a highly popular location, then the risk may increase simply because you are more likely to interact with others and you have no way of knowing how careful they’ve been.”
Staying at a hotel
If you don’t have a beach house lined up, staying at a hotel brings similar risks.
“Much like sharing a vacation home, it depends a lot on the hotel’s cleaning policies and your own behavior,” Silvera said. “Once you are in your room, if you wipe down any shared surfaces (the remotes, the phone, desktops, drawer handles, etc) that helps reduce your risk. You should also ask if the hotel is washing the comforter between guests. In addition, it would be best to avoid communal areas like the fitness center and lounges, and avoiding the indoor restaurants for the reasons described above.”
Getting a haircut or your nails done
Having gone months without a trim, color touchup, manicure or pedicure, many people were impatiently waiting for June 22 when they could get back into hair salons, barbers and nail salons. But these may not be the places to rush back to.
“Unfortunately, this is a high risk activity because it is indoors and you cannot get your hair cut in under 10 minutes from 6′ away,” Silvera said. “Because of this, even with spacing between clients, there is a higher risk of the employee being exposed and then potentially exposing other customers.”
Going shopping
Non-essential retail stores reopened June 15, but only at 50% capacity and shoppers and employees must wear face masks.
“The risk will depend on the size of the store, the location, and the ventilation. Depending on the size of the store, the store should limit the number of customers based on CDC guidance to allow for spatial distancing,” Silvera said. “Crowded malls are high risk and should be avoided if possible. Outdoor plaza-style shopping would reduce the risk. If you do need to go shopping, it would be best to limit the amount of time you need to stay indoors to reduce your risk.”
Camping at a campground
Private campgrounds were allowed to reopen at the end of May with restrictions, including that picnic areas, playgrounds and pavilions remain closed.
“Of all of these, this is probably the lowest risk activity on the list, especially if the campground is more remote. Risk increases if the campground is crowded and there is a need for a lot of guests to share facilities such as restrooms,” Silvera said. “Much like sharing a vacation home, it also depends on if you are going with the people you currently live with or if you will be going with friends and family. For the latter, their behaviors will impact your risk, so that is something that you should consider in your planning.”
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Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com.
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