Maybe I am in the minority here, but I feel like going out of my house, if I practice good hand hygiene, wear a mask, socially distance and behave responsibly, is a minimal risk.

I have asthma, bronchiectasis, and other health issues, have a husband with several health risks, and we are both in the higher risk category due to our ages. We have remained safe using the above practices through many activities since March including overnight travel, surgery OT/PT & doctor visits, daily walks, even outdoor restaurant meals.

We have 10 other people in our "Covid Bubble" - our daughters, son-in-law, 2 grandchildren and 5 close friends. I really believe the key to staying safe but not alone include finding a small like-minded circle of people taking the precautions, having everyone stay home if they even suspect they or someone in the house is ill, handling masks properly & washing them often. Even my little grandsons willingly wear masks if it means they can be with Grandma, Bompa & Auntie.

With friends, we mainly gather outdoors, if we are not apart or venture inside, we wear our masks. We have group meals, but stretch our tables to their limits or eat in little "pods" with TV trays, put masks on after eating. I even managed 2 months of "Grandma daycare" without any illness.

We gather cautiously outdoors with anyone outside our bubble, masked & staying at safe distance and have managed a wide variety of activities. I also quickly walk away from any place of business where I feel mask wearing, distancing, and cleaning are not diligently practiced - sadly that means I can't go to my favorite hardware, grocery or drug stores right now and have had to find alternates.

Just remember that the greatest risks of contracting Covid are droplets from breathing, which become more concentrated in smaller (indoor) spaces and with more people. Going outdoors has not been shown to pose any risk unless you have close contact with other people.

Sue