What’s your risk? Matrix helps you assess safety of public activities during pandemic
Now that stay-at-home orders have lifted despite rising numbers of coronavirus cases in some regions, you might be questioning whether it’s safe to go to your favorite restaurant, see a movie in the theater, or hang out with some friends in their back yard.
To help you evaluate your risks of catching the virus, Chicago’s Department of Public Health developed a “COVID-19 Risk Matrix” to help “inform personal decision making.”
“You can use this matrix every time you are thinking about a public activity,” Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of Chicago’s Department of Public Health, said in a video on the city’s website for COVID-19. “As we continue to move forward, the risk is going to hopefully continue to drop but you are going to keep making these same decisions day in and day out with each new activity.”
In an interactive chart, the public is led on a series of questions, beginning with considering your age and health, and that of the people you are planning on surrounding yourself with.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people over the age of 60 are at higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness, as well as people with underlying health conditions such as heart disease, obesity and diabetes.
Next, the matrix asks people to think about the activity they want to partake in: Can you avoid crowds of people you don’t know? Can you keep a 6-foot distance at all times? Can you always wear a mask? Is the activity outdoors?
If the answer is no to all or most of those questions, that means you might want to reconsider participating in the event, the matrix suggests.
Some activities and locations included in the danger zone labeled with a red or yellow color could include bars, movie theaters, sporting events, religious gatherings, gyms and restaurants, according to experts’ advice based on the area and number of people involved.
Some low-risk activities could be going to the beach, hiking and outdoor dining, experts told Business Insider.
The main takeaway: The more interactions you have with more people, the higher your chances of contracting COVID-19.
This story was originally published June 30, 2020 at 2:51 PM with the headline "What’s your risk? Matrix helps you assess safety of public activities during pandemic."
