Car sharers advised to take precautions
Devon’s Deputy Director of Public Health has issued guidance to commuters and other car sharers as they head back to work or are out and about.
With people asked not to use public transport if possible, some are opting to share lifts to work with friends and colleagues. Young people might also be sharing lifts to places during the holiday period.
Steve Brown, Devon’s Deputy Director of Public Health and Vice Chair of the county’s multi-agency COVID-19 Health Protection Board, said:
“The best travel options are walking and cycling, rather than sitting in an enclosed space with other people.
“But if working from home is not possible, and your live too far away to walk or cycle to where you need to get to, then you may need to drive. Clearly it is better not to share lifts with people from other households, but if this is unavoidable and you do need to share lifts with other people then please take sensible precautions.”
Those include:
• share the transport with the same people each time
• keep to small groups of people at any one time
• everyone in the car should wear face coverings
• try to keep as much distance as possible between each other
• travel side by side or behind other people where possible, rather than face them
• open windows to allow air to circulate
• everyone should remember to wash their hands properly before and after their journey
Car owners are also asked to clean their vehicles between journeys, paying attention to door handles and other parts of the vehicle that people may have touched.
Anyone with symptoms of coronavirus – new and continuous cough, high fever, loss of taste and/or smell – or who have been advised to self-isolate, should stay at home and not travel.
“The number of cases of coronavirus is still very low in Devon, and we want to keep it that way,” said Deputy Director, Mr Brown.
“We have not seen any linked cases or concerns that might suggest spread of the virus within communities.
“We are continuing to monitor the situation in Devon very closely, and have excellent local data and intelligence.
“It’s vital that everyone continues to do their bit to protect themselves and others by following the latest guidance.
“We will not hesitate to take appropriate and proportionate local action if it became necessary.
“All of us sticking to the infection control measures will help us to prevent spread of the virus and save lives.”
For the latest coronavirus advice in Devon and data, visit our website.
