Note: Kashmir Observer strongly discourages any physical gatherings especially avoidable ones like visiting each other this eid with the threat of the pandemic looming on us — as strong as ever. Stay home, save lives!
You have decided not to visit anyone but a guest arrives uninvited. Worse still, someone said they’d visit and you couldn’t bring yourself to say a No. Now they’re at your home on Eid. How do you safely host them without putting your life or their life at risk?
Following are some tips that can help you reduce the risk:
Mask Up: Wear an N95 mask. If you do not own one, just double mask. This can be done by wearing a surgical mask over which to wear another cloth mask. Do not wear cloth masks alone.
Sit in the Garden with Chairs at a Distance: If you have a Garden at home, host the guest there rather than indoors. Keep chairs at a considerable distance.
Keep Windows Open when Indoors: If you don’t have a garden, make sure you open all windows in the room where your guest sits. Old houses in Kashmir have dewan Khans which are quite spacious. Prefer this over your small baithak. Ventilation is key!
Don’t Serve Food: Don’t serve food (because that would entail taking the mask off) and if that’s too much for your Kaeshur sensibilities, prepare a package and give it to your guests to relish at home.
Sit in Your Cars and Wave a “Hi” from a Distance: If you have grandparents who live alone, you can drive to their house, stay in your cars with your windows closed. Way them a Hi from a distance from their driveway and call them on their phones to create the effect of proximity.
Say a “Hi” from a Distance and Leave: If you don’t own a car, you can stand outside their house while they stay inside. And you can wave them a Hi, leave them an eid package of sweets and then leave.
Reverse Quarantine: If you have high risk people at home, keep them from meeting guests. If you feel you or someone else were in a situation where you could have been infected, isolate elders in your family for some days or isolate yourself.
Having said that, please avoid having guests at all costs. Garner the strength to put your foot down and ask your loved ones to stay safe and stay home. Use virtual means to connect on Eid.
Covid-19’s threat is ever present these days. Don’t put your safety and the safety of your loved ones at risk. Stay home this Eid!
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