In the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19), big cities around the world have had to adapt to adhere to the new social distancing requirements. Unlike in the past where city center’s bustling with locals, shoppers and tourists, currently, social distancing is the new norm. In the quest to curb the Covid-19 virus, governments across the globe embraced lockdowns and social distancing. Currently, the lockdowns have been eased and to assure people of their safety, the application of social distancing rules has been widely embraced.
Social Distancing Signs and Stickers
Different signs and stickers have been embraced in different cities to communicate to the public on the need to stay away from each other. Businesses and public institutions are enlisting the services of expert sign makers to ensure their premises keep up-to-date with government legislation. In institutions where the public seeks to be served, there are markings on the floor to indicate where they should stand or sit as they wait for their turn to be served. These markings are placed at intervals of 1.5 to 2 meters apart.
The signs are in the form of dots, love hearts, smiley faces, squares, circles, and lines to act as guidelines for the public. In the quest to emphasize their necessity to the public, they are placed in all public places to keep reminding people and to enhance relearning of the social distancing responsibility. Different colours are used in these signs to make them appealing and easily noticeable. This in turn helps the public to remain informed of the dangers they can face if they fail to observe the social distancing standards.
Polite Language
Polite language is applied in notifying the public about their responsibility to remain safe and keep others safe in the process. Terms like PLEASE, KINDLY are embraced to show the public that they are valued. They make the guidelines appealing and caring rather than forceful and in the end, they are dutifully followed.
Visual Elements
Most of the signs and stickers embrace human visual elements. For instance, the footprints not only show the direction of movement but also indicate the distance that the individuals should keep in public areas like the malls and other areas in the cities. Also, bright lighting and changing colours to guide the public on where to stand or move to have been embraced.
Changes in Cinemas, Studios and Aquatics Centres
Areas like cinemas, recording studios and indoor aquatics venues have changed in the cities. The public no longer enjoys these events in close proximity as the seats are arranged between 1.5 to 2 metres apart. Given this, the numbers of people in these areas have reduced as compared to the past as the stipulated distance has to be kept.
Social Distancing in Workplaces in Cities
Different attempts have been made by different organizations to help the workers to socially distance. For instance, in cases where the workers are picked by corporate vehicles, they are forced to skip some seats to keep a distance from each other. The seats to be skipped are marked with words like DO NOT SIT HERE. This is in line with the transit department in the cities across the world where the sits to be occupied and those not to be occupied are labelled to enhance social distancing.
Besides, the workspace layouts have been restructured. Open offices no longer congest the workers together. The spaces where they should occupy are indicated as they are situated 1.5 or more meters away from the others. The distance between them and the clients that they serve is marked by lines where each party is to occupy.
Additionally, to avoid the risk of breaking the social distancing requirements, workplaces have designated different entries and exits to reduce congestion. There is one flow of individuals in a particular direction. Arrows are designed to show the direction of movement. In between the arrows, there are reminders for both the workers and the clients to ensure that the social distance from each other.
City Streets and Pavements
Human beings are poor in approximating distances between them. Different cities have embraced graphics on the streets and pavements to show the approximation of these distances. Lines have been drawn to show the distance that pedestrians should maintain from each other as they walk around. Drawings of individuals walking act as guidelines for the pedestrians to follow as they walk around the city streets.
Social distancing is the new normal in the COVID -19 era. Considering the rise in the number of coronavirus cases, cities have creatively designed reminders to keep the public safe as they embark on their daily routines. The public is now forced to devise means to survive as the virus has taken a toll across the globe. Therefore, social distancing signs serve to keep the human population safe through the minimization of the risk of contracting coronavirus in public spaces.
Has worked for many Internet marketing companies over the years, and has contributed to many online publications. If there is a story, he will find it.