Even in the current conditions of social distancing or self-quarantine, there are times when we have to leave the house to buy important necessities, including food. For some people this can also be a kind of refreshing to get rid of boredom after being at home all the time. But be careful not to let your guard down. Because we might even "encounter" the corona virus when shopping. Here are some useful tips to make your shopping event comfortable but still safe from transmission of corona virus infection.

1. Make a Shopping List According to Your Needs

Before going shopping, first prepare a list of items, food or products you want to buy. When you arrive at the market or supermarket, focus your attention only on looking for all the items on the shopping list. After getting all the items you want, immediately queue at the cashier and make payment. It is recommended not to linger when shopping.

2. Make Sure to Stay 1-2 Meters Away

This is the key. Keep a distance of about 2 meters from other customers or supermarket staff (or traders, if you go to a traditional market). Including when accessing items in the refrigerator and freezer. There are some shops and supermarkets that have restrictions on the number of people who can be in the shop at one time. But if not, we ourselves have to discipline ourselves regarding this problem of keeping our distance.

Also read Qasir's article about #JagaDistance in here

3. Always Wear a Mask

This is important. Especially in public places such as markets, stalls or supermarkets, avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Resist the itching sensation that often appears in the facial area as much as possible. It's difficult indeed. Therefore, to avoid reflex hand movements to your face, always wear your mask. Apart from that, WHO has also required everyone to wear a mask for everyone's safety (see the article here). If it is not possible to wear a medically recommended mask, wear a mask that you can make yourself from cloth. No problem, as long as you always wash it immediately after use. Stores also stock hand sanitiser, take advantage of it.

4. Shop Alone, Not in Groups

If possible, shop alone. If not, just invite 1 family member to help. Apart from speeding up movement, this will also reduce the number of people in the store while making physical distancing easier to achieve.

5. Prioritize The Vulnerable

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In Indonesia, there are not many shops that enforce special hours policies for medical and public service workers, the elderly, and vulnerable people (such as pregnant women, mothers with children, etc.). But we can do it independently. If you see elderly people or pregnant women in the checkout line, give them a chance first.

6. Minimize Contact with Objects

If possible, bring a small trolley from home, or a shopping bag so you don't have to touch the supermarket trolley. Trolleys in supermarkets are often touched by various people. Even though supermarkets say their trolleys are always cleaned, we shouldn't take any chances. In fact, before the pandemic, we often encountered viruses and germs on objects. It's just that we have become more attentive since COVID-19 threatened us, because the level of danger is higher than the viruses we usually encountered before. To minimize touching objects, always remember to only take the items you want to buy. Also avoid contact with money and change. That's why Qasir always emphasizes making payments as much as possible via a digital wallet or payment application on your cellphone.

7. If There's Still an Option to Shop from Home, It's Best to Choose It

Shopping outside the home is a bit refreshing, but with such big risks, shopping from home is still the most recommended choice. After all, the fewer people around, the less opportunity there is for the virus to travel. For grocery stalls and F&B businesses, you can shop via the Miqro application for your shop needs.

Yes, since the arrival of the corona virus, all of our lives have practically changed in all aspects. How people work, how businesses run, how children go to school, including how they shop. There is no choice but to adapt and adapt. Because only in this way can we survive the dangers of COVID-19 transmission and at the same time continue to live in the midst of these difficulties.