Is it safe to move during the COVID-19 outbreak?

Introduction

COVID-19 has completely changed the way we do things for most parts. New restrictions are kicking in all the time, and it’s not easy to stay on top of the latest COVID-19 updates. I”m sure that if you’re reading this you’re questioning whether it’s safe to move during COVID-19. The answer is “Yes” and “No.” It depends on whether you and your removalist are well educated on how to keep everyone safe and follow some simple yet straightforward rules.

As recognised by the Australian government, moving is considered an essential activity – one that can’t be avoided in most cases. There’s no need to panic and push your move forward or push it back. We now have plenty of information regarding the virus. That really is the key point. We now know what we should and shouldn’t do to stop the spread of the virus and to protect ourselves and the loved ones. After reading this, you will be equipped with the required set of knowledge to ensure that your move during COVID-19 is safe for your family and also our team members.

Coronavirus impacting removals

“COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by a new virus. Symptoms include fever, coughing, sore throat and shortness of breath. The virus can spread from person to person, but good hygiene can prevent infection.” Australian Government Department of Health

It is highly infectious, however in Australia, currently, the rate of death is well below 0.5%. Unfortunately in places like Italy, the death rate is sitting at 11.75% (1st of April) according to Statista. Experts attribute to the age and the availability of beds behind such a huge discrepancy in the numbers. Due to recent measures by the Australian government, it appears that the rate of infection is slowing down and this will help Australia maintain its low death rate.

How long does coronavirus survive on surfaces?

It depends on the surface. For instance: virus remains viable for over 3 hours in droplets from sneezes and coughs. On a copper surface, the virus can last about 4 hours while on a cardboard surface the virus could be detected after 24 hours. On stainless steel and plastic surfaces the virus could be detected up to 72 hours later. Wipe down high touch areas often to reduce the spread of the virus and remember that droplets from your sneeze can reach up to 6 meters.

How you can protect ourselves and others

We can protect ourselves and others by

• Staying informed
• Social distancing
• Maintaining good hygiene and
• Correct use of masks

Stay informed

The Australian Government is rolling out its countermeasures against the virus and new restrictions in stages. It is imperative to be up to date with the latest rule changes and other government warnings. You can do this by:

• Keeping up to date with news and media by checking COVID-19 updates provided by the Department of Health.
• Downloading the “Corona Australia” government app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
• Joining the Department Health’s WhatsApp Channel on iOS or Android.

Social distancing

The more space between you and others, the harder for the virus to spread. Maintain at least 1.5m of distance from each other. Stay at home and only go out only when it is absolutely essential. Also, avoid touching objects that others may have touched. You can press elevator buttons using your elbow or a pen.

Good hygiene

Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly using soap and water. Cough into tissues, and bin the tissue immediately. If tissue is not available, cough into your elbow. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth area.

Correct use of masks

Incorrect use of masks increases your risks rather than reducing it. There is a scientific rationale for wearing a mask. When worn correctly, you can protect yourself and others. Wash your hands with soap and water before putting on your mask. Once it’s on, do not touch your mask or readjust your mask.

How we protect staff and customers while moving

Moving during COVID-19 creates a unique set of challenges. Easy Peasy Removals understand that the role we play is essential and to provide continued services without interruption to all the customers we had to make some changes.

Providing vital information

If you’re reading this, then we’ve already succeeded. For our staff’s safety and yours, it’s critical that all parties involved understand the general knowledge and how to protect one another.

We adhere to all government recommendations (and we go beyond)

Socially distanced removals

Our crews adhere to social distancing restrictions attending jobs, in offices and at home. We maintain 1.5m social distancing at all times.

Maintaining excellent hygiene

 Each team is equipped with hand sanitizers. Our crews sanitize their hands at the start and end of each job. (plus whenever necessary while attending jobs) This means that we attend each job with clean hands.

Facial masks

Our crews wear facial masks while attending jobs. Masks can be effective in both inward and outward protection. We are doing our best to protect our staff as well as our clients from the coronavirus.

Zero contact moving/delivery/transport

We have introduced and successfully completed zero contact moving, zero contact deliveries and zero contact transports. It’s a simple, yet a creative solution for moving during the COVID-19 outspread. If you or your family fall under the most vulnerable groups of people – people with preexisting conditions and/or people aged 65, you may be interested in Easy Peasy Removal’s zero contact moving. We will provide a few example scenarios of moving during COVID-19.

Example 1: Moving an elderly client

Moving items for a client who is in the most vulnerable group due to the age group he is in. As per new restrictions, the client remains at home and the key to the client’s self-storage unit is placed in front of his dwelling. Our team will pick up the key and head to the storage unit. Items will be loaded from the storage unit and brought back to the client’s garage where they are unloaded. The client will have zero contact with anyone outside his home including us. He will remain at home the whole time.

Once the job is finished the key is dropped off, again with zero contact. We are then paid via bank transfer (preferably) or money can be dropped off with zero contact.

Example 2: Moving items while being out of Melbourne

A family was recently stranded in Queensland due to newly introduced restrictions on interstate travel. A renovation was scheduled for their property back in Victoria and the shed needed to be emptied out so that the builders could have access to it. In this instance, you can either mail us your keys or have your neighbour or have an extended family member provide us access to the shed (all can be done with zero contact – we will send your designated neighbour or extended family member a text message as we approach your property).

We can move the items from the shed to your designated address or we can store them in one of our storage units until you are able to return, all done with zero contact.

Example 3: Office moving during the coronavirus outspread

With many offices having their employees work from home, it has become the best time to relocate offices. Staff are not coming back to work the next day, and there are less people therefore the move is faster and less painful for the businesses.

What you can do to ensure your safety during the move?

Consider our zero contact moving service

We offer zero contact moving service, combined with our packing and sending service, you won’t have to lift your finger to move to your new home while having zero contact. Zero contact service is available for moving, transporting and deliveries. This is a great option for you if you are concerned with the coronavirus and/or have family members who fall under highly vulnerable groups.

Minimise the number of people present during the move

In the time of Corona outspread, having fewer people from your household is a good thing on the day of the move. Our crews adhere to social distancing rules, and if an area or a room is too crowded, our crews are not able to enter until the area is clear. Minimise the number of people present to reduce contact and also to speed up the process of moving. If you can’t manage a way to minimise the numbers, you can always allocate a “self-isolation’ room where the movers do not need to enter. Your household members can stay in the designated room for the duration of the move.

Minimise contact:

• Prepare colour codes for rooms and boxes. This removes the need for a person to person instructions (read more on colour coding your boxes).
• Minimise person to person contact by sending in email instructions the day before, or prepare and organise a full list of instructions delivered verbally at the start of the move. These methods allow our crews to work autonomously without requiring your presence all the time. The fewer questions we need to ask, the less contact we will have.
• Avoid unnecessary contacts with boxes and furniture during the move. Where possible, consider opening your boxes 24 hours later – as the coronavirus can’t survive 24 hours on cardboards.

Protect yourself and others at all times!

Maintain hygiene by washing hands with soap and water and be remindful of social distancing at all times to help to ensure the safety of your family and our team members. If you’re moving during Corona outspread, our team members will employ all necessary measures to ensure your safety. Please remember that our team members also rely on your conscious efforts to stay protected during the move.