5 Tips For Socialising Safely This Summer
Together let’s keep going and stay safe.
Australian summers can be kind of gross when you think about it.
We camp at big music festivals in the bush and come back from sweaty road trips caked in glitter and mud. We spend our nights at house parties, rubbing up against friends of friends and sipping drinks we fished out of the melted ice in someone’s bathtub.
Things are obviously different this year. Many festivals are cancelled and house parties have become virtual. But that doesn’t mean summer’s a write-off. We just have to change the way we do things to keep everyone safe (spoiler: it involves a lot more hand sanitiser).
Here are a few tips to get you started.
Stay Across The Latest News
I know. I’m sorry! A rolling liveblog of COVID-19 coverage doesn’t really scream “summer fun”, but we all know how quickly things can change. One second you’re packing your bag for a big trip to the beach and the next you’re rushing out to grab snacks for a surprise lockdown.
From regular changes to travel advice and state border restrictions, there’s a lot to stay up to date with right now. How many people can you have over for a BBQ? When should you wear a mask? Are there any outbreaks near you or your friends?
You don’t need to read every news story (no-one ever needs to do that), but it’s best to check in once a day to make sure you’re in the clear. Nothing kills that ~summer vibe~ like getting accidentally stuck on the other side of a state border.
Get Outdoors
There’s never been a better time to embrace the great outdoors. It’s beautiful and sunny out there and… being outdoors is the easiest way to keep your distance. Win-win.
This is the best kind of COVID advice: something you were probably going to do anyway.
Now you can pat yourself on the back for those picnics and BBQs and beach days you had already planned. And, for extra legend status, you could organise something totally new. Think: bike riding, hiking or golf. There are heaps of outdoor activities where it’s super easy to keep a 1.5m distance from your mates.
Retire The ‘Three-Second Rule’
Our bar for good hygiene used to be pretty low. Remember sneezing all over your hands instead of using your elbow? Remember literally eating food off the floor because of a made-up rule about how fast germs could touch it? Weird that I haven’t heard any epidemiologists advocate that one recently… or ever.
The new year is a great time to ditch these practices once and for all — if only to avoid grossed-out glances from your friends. Watching your mate eat a sausage that rolled off the BBQ into some dirt doesn’t exactly fill you with confidence about their hygiene habits.
Those good habits aren’t too hard to keep: wash your hands often, keep some hand sanny around at all times, and avoid touching your face as much as possible. Ok that last one is kinda hard, but try your best.
Embrace BYO
Everyone’s used to BYO drinks, but the philosophy is worth applying to a few other things this summer too. In a global pandemic, sharing is not always caring.
If you’re heading to the beach, for instance, make sure you have all your essentials covered. Bring your own identifiable water bottle, rub in your own sunscreen where possible, and keep your snacks separate.
Sharing a big bag of chips at the beach used to be fun, but now… not so much. It’s instantly ruined the second you see someone lick their fingers and go back in for round two.
Stay Home If You’re Sick
The most important part of socialising this summer is knowing when you really shouldn’t be socialising at all.
Don’t ignore that sore throat or runny nose — even if it’s a really sunny day, even if you have tickets to a COVID-safe show, even if you feel kind of silly worrying about it. Get a test and stay home until you get your negative result.
It can be annoying. But, after the year we’ve all had, the odd day or two on the couch isn’t a bad price to pay for a whole summer back in the world again.
This article originally appeared on Junkee.
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Be a COVIDLegend. Together let’s keep going and stay safe. For information visit health.gov.au