Kim Turnbull and her husband Greg Cormier deliver meals to Cormier’s 94-year-old mother about three times a week.
With the spread of the novel coronavirus, they say they’re taking precautions to keep everyone safe, but were concerned that not everyone seemed to be taking social distancing suggestions seriously.
“We found going to the grocery store people were not staying six feet away,” said Turnbull.
So the couple came up with a solution: creating social distancing badges and stickers. They based their design on a stop sign, and inside it reads 6′ BACK social distancing.
“You’ll notice when you do wear them, people notice them and it’s like they do, they stop and they back up,” said Turnbull.
READ MORE: Most of the world doesn’t think social distancing will stop coronavirus, Ipsos poll says
She says already the reception has been positive. While wearing a sticker at a grocery store in Moncton, an employee noticed the sticker.
“The guy working at the counter said, ‘that’s really cool.’ He said, ‘I’d love to have one of those because I’m tired of telling people to stand back and some people get mad,'” said Turnbull.
The couple is now selling the stickers and badges online. Turnbull also manages cottage and house rentals, but says due to the current climate, business has come to a halt. She says the profit margins for the six feet back products aren’t much, but she says right now this project is something that can keep her employees busy and employed.
But the main goal of the project is to make people aware, and remind them of the importance of maintaining distance from each other.
“This is reality. This is not a joke. It’s not fake news. This is our life right now,” said Turnbull.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
Comments