Partnership
We are undoubtedly going through strange and frightening times. Our lives are being restricted in ways we could never have imagined just a few weeks ago.
As we have seen over the last few days, social distancing is something that people have been accused of not taking seriously enough. So whether you are travelling on trains from Portsmouth Harbour to Brighton for work purposes, or are just looking to head home to bunker down, once home safe we’ll all have to wait it out until we are able to return to our normal daily lives. Here we give some advice about how to keep your distance and keep yourself safe if you have to travel by train over the next few months.
Self-Isolate and Stay at Home
We all know by now that we shouldn’t be making any non-essential journeys. Although for some travelling by train is still essential staff such as nurses, doctors and those in health care as well as supermarket staff, teachers and child care workers.
For everyone else, the message is relatively simple – stay at home, work from home. The more we can do this, the more likely we are to reduce the impact of the Coronavirus. If you are in one of the at-risk groups, you should be self-isolating at home and you should not be risking travelling on public transport.
Social Distancing Basics
Government guidance is that we should keep at least 2 metres between us to keep safe. As one news item put it, that’s about the length of footballer Peter Crouch. We should also be avoiding large or family gatherings and keep our social engagements down to a minimum.
If you are travelling on a train because you are an essential worker, you should expect there to be a lot more room because not so many people are travelling. Having said that, if people are not following Government advice, it could be that you are getting on the train that is more crowded than you expected, especially at certain times of the day.
If you get onto a train, it’s important to take your social distancing responsibility seriously. It can help to simply assume that you are carrying the virus yourself and use that to direct your behaviour.
Be aware of the world around you. The train will stop and more people will get on so it’s important to notice what is going on and where people are. If you have to move to increase the distance between you and another person, then do so. Don’t leave it up to others and be proactive if you’re distancing.
Should I Wear Protective Gear?
Many countries like South Korea and China insist that people wear a mask and disposable nitrile gloves when they go outside and you might like to consider these measures if you are travelling on trains or buses. Don’t feel that you are looking foolish, it’s all about protecting yourself and others from infection. It’s likely to become the norm for people outside if the virus is not brought under control.
Take care of yourself and others around you – together we can beat this!
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