Has the public health department in your area put physical distancing measures in place yet, to try to slow the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic? In Montreal, our city and provincial governments have been working hand-in-hand to try to keep us – and our healthcare professionals – as safe as possible.
By about March 12 they had closed our schools, recreational facilities, restaurant dining areas, and more. The idea is to limit the possibilities for people to gather, because this illness can spread like wildfire among groups.
We’re not under a lock-down or a quarantine, though, so we can still go outside – for walks, for example. As long as we keep that crucial 1 to 2 metre (at least 6 feet) distance between each person.
This afternoon my sister and I visited a local farm shop together, while respecting that physical distance. It’s allowed to remain open, considered an essential service as a local grocery store. We drove there in separate cars, because we live in different households.
Inside the Quinn Farm shop, we stayed apart but were still able to chat without standing close to each other. This little farm store was very well set up for this new reality of physical distancing and pandemic precautions. First off, there was mandatory hand sanitizer both on the way in and on the way back out the door.
They had spread out the merchandise across a large surface, using tables to keep customers apart while they were browsing. Signs posted throughout the store asked patrons not to touch anything that they weren’t planning to buy.
When it came time to pay for our items, the cashier was wiping down the counter between clients. My sister paid for her purchases first, and once she had paid and moved outside I then set my items onto the counter – following the instructions posted near the cashier station.
The cashier and customers were protected from each other by a pretty old-fashioned window, which had been suspended on wires from the ceiling. There was a small gap between this hanging window and the counter, so that cash could be passed across.
Because the possibility has been raised that this coronavirus could live on Canada’s polymer-based currency, there were posters at the cashier’s station asking clients to use their debit or credit card instead of cash.
Another great idea had been implemented at the Quinn Farm shop, where they had raised the limit for the tap function on their credit card reader to $200. The limit on these card readers has been $100, in my area, for the past few years.
The owners of this family farm had built a large outdoor playground for children, but this was closed in compliance with new public health regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To encourage people to get some exercise and some fresh air during this strange and potentially stressful situation, the farm was encouraging visitors to take a walk on one of the many unpaved tracks through their acreage – while respecting the recommended physical distance between individuals, of course!
It was a gorgeous day, so we set out for a walk “together but apart”; we walked parallel to each other, one on each side of the muddy road. We enjoyed a really nice two-hour walk and talk, catching up with each other’s lives in the spring sunshine.
My sincere thanks to the Quinn Farm family, for creating a safe place to shop for food. That’s really important to me because my rare disease, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), is an autoimmune condition as well as a neuro-inflammatory disease.
That autoimmune component means that I’m considered to be at higher risk of complications from COVID-19, because my immune system is working as well as it should.
As an added risk of complications from this coronavirus, I’ve had asthma since childhood. Severe enough to have already been on a ventilator three times, which is an experience I hope never repeat! To say that I’m being very careful during this COVID-19 pandemic would be an understatement.
It was also fantastic of this farm family to have put up posters suggesting that their clients take advantage of their acreage to go for a walk – safely – during this strange pandemic period. It’s important, if you’re not under quarantine conditions, to get outside and to get some exercise – preferably with a loved one as I did today.
Have I left you wondering what type of goodies I picked up at the farm shop? Stay tuned, and I’ll post about these farm-fresh foods as I use them ‘-)
As always, thanks so much for stopping by. I wish you and our loved ones all the best of health and well-being during these trying times. Stay safe, and be well.