VANCOUVER residents are being encouraged to “Stay Home, Stay Put” to keep themselves, their neighbours and their loved ones safe.
With thousands of people dying globally each day from COVID-19, the City of Vancouver is asking people to stay at home and limit their outings to essential trips only in order to slow the spread of the virus.
“The next few weeks are pivotal for our city, if we continue to do our part and Stay Home, Stay Put, we will save lives,” said Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart. “It sounds simple, but when we ‘Stay Home, Stay Put,’ we are fighting for Vancouver, fighting for the people we love, and fighting for those who are on the frontlines.”
“Every single person in Vancouver has a role to play in keeping our city safe and that is to ‘Stay Home, Stay Put.’ Ask yourself how you would feel if someone you care about got sick because you had people over, headed on a hike with friends, or went in to work when you didn’t need to”, COVID Task Force Chief, Darrell Reid said. “By taking these steps now, Vancouver will be in a better place to recover and rebuild when the pandemic is over.”
The City is launching a public campaign to remind people of the four main actions they can take to help limit the spread of the virus, including:
1. Maintaining physical distance of at least 2 metres with others outside your home
2. Avoiding any gatherings of people on private property, at work or in parks
3. Working from home if possible.
4. Only go out for essential activities such as shopping for groceries, picking up prescriptions, and exercising alone or with members of your household
5. Stay home if you are sick or showing symptoms
These steps will allow us to keep ourselves, our neighbours and colleagues, and our loved ones safe – and means we will be in a much stronger position to recover and rebuild when this pandemic is over.
Many members of City staff are now working from home, but those that continue to work across Vancouver are carrying out essential services including sanitation, providing food and support services to people experiencing homelessness, and maintaining the city’s infrastructure so that Vancouver can keep running and recover quickly. Staff delivering these essential services are frequently reminded to stay two metres apart and wash their hands frequently.
“Stay Home, Stay Put” messages will be communicated via a social media campaign, public signage including billboards, and by outreach to businesses.
As well as following the advice, residents are encouraged to tell friends and neighbours, and repost and share on social media where possible.
