Just because you can go somewhere doesn't mean you should. Here's what to avoid in Phase 2

Gov. Roy Cooper said Monday that he's hopeful the state can move into the second phase of resuming business and social activities during the coronavirus the pandemic this weekend, which means the number of places people can go will soon expand. However, experts caution that, just because you can go somewhere, doesn't mean you should.

Posted 9:37 p.m. May 18, 2020 — Updated 12:41 p.m. May 19, 2020

Keely Arthur

, WRAL reporter

RALEIGH, N.C. — Gov. Roy Cooper said Monday that he's hopeful the state can move into the second phase of resuming business and social activities during the coronavirus the pandemic this weekend, which means the number of places people can go will soon expand.

However, experts caution that, just because you can go somewhere, doesn't mean you should.

“We like going out to eat. We like going out to bars. We like going to pools and beaches. But these are places we tend to congregate and get close to one another, and that’s not what we should be doing right now,” said Dr. David Wohl, an infectious disease expert at the UNC School of Medicine.

Wohl said there are things people should consider before venturing out amid a pandemic:

Is an activity indoors or out? Outside is safer.
How close will you be to others? Make sure you can stay at least 6 feet apart.
How long will the activity last? The shorter the better.

“The virus likes to jump from one person to another susceptible person, so once you’re close to somebody who can share the virus with you, you’re in danger,” he said.

Activities like golfing and hiking, where fresh air and space are plentiful, are fine. Wohl said to exercise caution with things like massages, haircuts and indoor dining, all of which will likely become available in some form in phase two of the reopening plan.

“Restaurants scare me still. I think it’s very hard to social distance,” he said.

Wohl said he and his family will stick to takeout food for the time being.

People also should avoid busy pools, gyms, playgrounds and parties for now because the risk of spreading the virus to more people is heightened due to the proximity to others, he said.

“It’s really important for people to understand we are peaking. We haven’t peaked already," he said.

For a guidance on specific locations from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services click here: https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/guidance

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