Digitization 101: Social Distancing, Day 3

Monday, March 16, 2020

Social Distancing, Day 3

COVID-19 by Alissa Eckert and Dan Higgins at the CDC

As COVID-19 impacts daily life around the world, in New York State we have been asked to engage is social distancing. This is more than just avoiding large crowds. The best practice "requires maintaining at least a six-foot distance between yourself and others." (Vox)

For me, this is day three of social distancing. Saturday I went to the farmer's market and the grocery store. The grocery store had the empty shelves that everyone is talking about, while the farmer's market had fewer vendors. I didn't go out again until Sunday evening for a walk at a very large shopping mall. There it was easy to maintain social distancing, because most stores were closed for the day. Which brings me to today, where I only went outdoors to do some yard work. There are weeks more of this ahead. Weeks.

Social distancing does not mean stepping away from doing work. It does mean perhaps doing work in different ways. It doesn't mean having no contact with people. It does mean having contact with others in ways that keeps everyone safe from COVID-19. It doesn't mean being selfish. It does mean taking care of the community in a very different way than normal.

Days 1 and 2 felt normal, but today does not. And knowing that this will continue on for weeks means that somehow I - and others - need to become comfortable with this new normal. Tips welcome.

So how are you doing? What do you need help with? Leave a comment and let's get through this together.