Mayor's Office

It’s interesting to think back several weeks when we had not even heard of the term ‘social distancing’. I’m not a fan of the term – I prefer social solidarity and physical distancing. But whatever you call it, it’s now part of our everyday lives.

Physical distancing may mean substantially altering what you do each day but it's critical to prevent the spread of COVID-19. What you do and don't do fundamentally impacts our community's health and well-being.

Stay home as much as possible. This means not leaving your home unless absolutely necessary. No playdates, no visiting the neighbors, no group sports. Plan your shopping trips well and stock up for a week or two at a time. Many local businesses are switching to phone or online sales with delivery or curbside pick-up.

Continue strong everyday prevention measures. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Cover your sneezes and coughs with a tissue or your elbow. Don’t touch your face. Clean frequently touched surfaces, like doorknobs, keyboards, phones and counters.

If you’re working at an essential service outside your home: Spread out at work - at least six feet from others. If you have an office, keep your door closed. Make sure to clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

These tips and more are available from the Public Health Madison & Dane County website. I urge you to check back in often to that site and to the City of Madison website. You can find COVID-19 updates there and on my blog. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook as well.

We will get through this together, but we need everyone to do everything they can to prevent the spread of this virus. Take care of yourselves and take care of each other (at a distance!).