Yes, you can still go outside
With the line between social distancing and self-isolating beginning to blur, many people are asking an important question: Is it safe to go outdoors?
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We are living through a scary, confusing, and consequential moment. Many of us have never routinely considered the existential and ethical implications of, say, going to the supermarket or setting up a playdate for our kids. Life inside the pandemic has proven itself a minefield of these moral quandaries, with lots of us asking questions we never used to ask: Is it wrong to have dinner with a friend? Is it safe to visit the dentist? Some of us are even wondering—in fear, good conscience, or both—whether we can go outside at all anymore.
The answer, experts agree for now, is yes. With some caveats.
Exercising and recreating outdoors should be subject to careful judgement, of course. But most health organizations agree that you are, in general, allowed to leave the house if you’re well. Mental self-care is important at a time like this, too.
The National Recreation and Park Association released a joint statement yesterday, “Using Parks and Open Space While Maintaining Social Distancing,” that offers tips for safely utilizing green spaces in areas that haven’t restricted them. All are in compliance with CDC recommendations.
So yes, leave the house. Do so intentionally and conscientiously, for the benefit of your own mental wellbeing. Don’t overdo it. Protect your fellow human beings; take care of yourself.
