Covid-19 | Safety How to Protect Yourself & Others From CoronaVirus Important Ways to Slow the Spread Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth to help protect yourself and others. Stay 6 feet apart from others who don’t live with you. Get a COVID-19 vaccine when it is available to you. Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces. Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available. Wear a mask - It's required Everyone 2 years and older should wear masks in public. Masks should be worn in addition to staying at least 6 feet apart, especially around people who don’t live with you. If someone in your household is infected, people in the household should take precautions including wearing masks to avoid spread to others. Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before putting on your mask. Wear your mask over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin. Fit the mask snugly against the sides of your face, slipping the loops over your ears or tying the strings behind your head. If you have to continually adjust your mask, it doesn’t fit properly, and you might need to find a different mask type or brand. Make sure you can breathe easily. If you are wearing a mask: You can cough or sneeze into your mask. Put on a new, clean mask as soon as possible and wash your hands. If you are not wearing a mask: Always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or use the inside of your elbow and do not spit. Effective February 2, 2021, masks are required on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations. Maintain social distance - Stay 6 feet away from others Inside your home: Avoid close contact with people who are sick.If possible, maintain 6 feet between the person who is sick and other household members. Outside your home: Put 6 feet of distance between yourself and people who don’t live in your household. Remember that some people without symptoms may be able to spread virus. Keeping distance from others is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick. Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces: Being in crowds like in restaurants, bars, fitness centers, or movie theaters puts you at higher risk for COVID-19. Wash your hands often Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. It’s especially important to wash: - Before eating or preparing food - After leaving a public place - After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing - After handling your mask - After caring for someone sick - After touching animals or pets If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Monitor your health daily Be alert for symptoms. Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19. - Especially important if you are running essential errands, going into the office or workplace, and in settings where it may be difficult to keep a physical distance of 6 feet. Take your temperature if symptoms develop. - Don’t take your temperature within 30 minutes of exercising or after taking medications that could lower your temperature, like acetaminophen. Follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop. Coronavirus Vaccine - Get Vaccinated Vaccines are designed to help our immune system fight off against infectious diseases, so uou don't get sick and don't spread the disease. COVID-19 vaccination will be an important tool to help stop the pandemic A growing body of evidence suggests that fully vaccinated people are less likely to be infected without showing symptoms (called an asymptomatic infection) and potentially less likely to spread the virus that causes COVID-19 to others. Once you are fully vaccinated, you may be able to start doing some things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic. Clean & Disinfect Your Home When Someone Is Sick Clean high touch surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks. If someone is sick or has tested positive for COVID-19, disinfect frequently touched surfaces. If surfaces are dirty, clean them using detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.