Circles, Lines, Boxes: How to Practice Social Distancing in Queues

People on social media share photos of shops coming up with clever ways to maintain social distancing.

A grocery store in Puducherry drew circles on the road for people, to stand away from each other as they wait in a queue.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Social distancing is the most important measure that is being taken across the world to cut down the transmission of coronavirus.

It simply means keeping a physical distance of at least 1.5 metres from each other, and some stores and shops in India have come up with ingenious ways to ensure that this is practiced – even when you’re standing in queue.

Several images are being shared on social media from various parts of the country where people have marked circles or drawn boxes on the road with chalk, to discipline people in maintaining a healthy distance between each other.

Home Minister Amit Shah also posted a photo from a Cabinet meeting where ministers are seen sitting far away from each other.

COVID-19 coronavirus can spread through sneezing or coughing by an infected person. The droplets of a sneeze or cough stays in the air for a few hours, and can travel only a short distance, experts say.

This is why it’s been advised that people maintain a minimum social distance from each other. To further take precautions against the spread of COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 24 March, announced a 21-day-long lockdown to restrict the movement of people.