Rico’s COVID-9 – We’ve heard the term “Burbuja Social” – Social Bubble – over and over, use in reports and warnings from the Minister of Health, Daniel Salas, in his daily briefings on the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
But what is a Social Bubble?
In the following diagram, the Ministry of Health explains the burbuja social is the group of people who regularly live together in the same household.
What it is NOT is a group of friends hanging out, co-workers in close proximity and family members who are not living together day-to-day.
In its battle against the pandemic, on Monday, June 22, Minister Salas announced the mandatory use of a facemask or face shield starting on Saturday, June 27, for people who carry out the following activities.
- Employees who serve the public in any office, business, or institution.
- Waiters who take the order in restaurants must necessarily wear face masks, not shields.
- Passengers traveling on buses, trains or taxis.
- Restaurant customers (while not eating) and banks.
- Attendees to churches, cinemas, and theaters.
The Minister explained that the use of masks or shields is considered only for closed places and, therefore, it is not mandatory for pedestrians or people who are in open places.
Washing your hands regularly and maintaining social distancing of at least 1.8 meters are other good practices to ensure minimum exposure and possible infection.