Social Distancing Is Still Important Even as Cities Reopen
Just because society is reopening doesn’t mean it’s safe to hang out at parties
Over the long weekend, revelers from Daytona Beach to Houston flouted social distancing guidelines with raucous celebrations and crowded pool parties. Technically, they weren’t breaking any rules: Stay-at-home orders in Florida and Texas have expired, and all U.S. states and territories have eased their shutdowns to varying degrees to jump-start their suffering economies. Social distancing, once a rule, is now considered guidance.
But just because it isn’t illegal to get together now doesn’t mean that social distancing isn’t still critical for keeping you and your loved ones safe. The coronavirus hasn’t been eliminated from the United States — far from it — which means that there are still people getting infected, potentially walking around and infecting people around them. You’re still at risk of becoming infected if you come into contact with someone who has tested positive. And if you are infected but asymptomatic, you risk spreading the virus to people you interact with. Going to public places, especially crowded ones where you get within six feet of another person, increases that risk.
