With COVID-19 still running rampant throughout the local area and across the Sunshine State, this very well could be the strangest and most dangerous Christmas shopping season any of us has ever faced.
With that in mind, it’s imperative that you take extra precautions when shopping at area stores. Because social distancing is one of the keys to stopping the spread of the Coronavirus, crowded stores and jammed-up checkout lines could put you at greater risk of catching the potentially deadly virus.
While you can’t eliminate your risk entirely, the good news is you can lower it significantly by following the safety measures listed below:
- Consider shopping online as much as possible. Oftentimes, you can buy what you want from home without needing to come into contact with other people. But you might want to consider making your purchases early, as there will most likely be more online shoppers this year than ever before and popular products will go fast.
- In stores, maintain social distancing of at least six feet from others when possible.
- Always wear a mask or face covering – a safety measure that’s being required by many retailers across the country.
- Disinfect shopping carts. Some stores offer disinfecting wipes.
- Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
- If possible, only touch products that you plan to purchase.
- Get in-store shopping trips done early. There will be more shoppers in stores the closer it gets to Christmas and with some retailers limiting capacity, there could be plenty of people and a long wait before you can even get in the doors.
- Use contactless credit cards. You can hold this type of card above the payment terminal or tap it on the payment terminal, assuming it accepts contactless payments. This way, you can avoid physical contact with cashiers or payment terminals that go through hundreds of transactions per day.
- Carry hand sanitizer and use it after leaving the store.
- After you return home, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.