During these challenging times, we all have a lot of questions and one of them is whether it is safe to move while we are still fighting the virus.
Long story short, it is, but with a few conditions. So let’s take a bit of a deeper dive into the subject.
What is COVID-19?
In case you have spent the last half a year somewhere on an uninhabited island you should know that:
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that may cause illness in animals or humans. In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease COVID-19.
— World Health Organization
You should also know that moving is considered an essential business by most governments, including the government of Alberta, and we continue providing our services, albeit with some restrictions and safety policies in place. For further information please read our response to COVID-19.
Moving during COVID-19
You might have planned your move a long time ago, or maybe some unforeseeable circumstances are forcing you to move as soon as possible. Regardless of the reason, it is usually impossible to cancel the move and postponing it doesn’t make much sense either since we are living in a new normal and it will likely stay this until the coronavirus vaccine is available to the public.
So the next best option is to make yourself aware of the best practices and the process of moving to keep yourself, your family, and workers safe.
Moving procedure during COVID-19
Get a quote. The first and safest thing you can and should do is to get a moving company quote. It is either done online or over the phone keeping everyone safe. You can get a quote from us by calling us at 403.918.8683 or contacting us via our contact form.
Schedule a moving date. Make sure to schedule a date and a time that will allow you to get prepared for moving and, if possible, have fewer people at home. This will help to reduce interactions and keep social distancing.
Communicate the scope of work. Previously this wouldn’t have been an issue, but in today’s reality, the less time the movers spend in your house the better. And one of the things you can do for that is to communicate in advance what exactly will be moved. One of the ways to do that is to send your movers photos and videos of the furniture and belongings which you will move.
Pack everything at least 24 hours before the move. Since the virus can stay only up to 24 hours on most surfaces, one thing you can do to keep all parties involved safe is to pack everything 24 hours or more before the scheduled time.
Disinfect your house. The next best thing you can do is to disinfect the surfaces in your house which will likely be touched by movers, for example, doorknobs and handles.
Maintain physical distance. It is recommended to keep 6-feet (2 meters) distance to avoid spreading and catching the virus. This also means that we should consider using other forms of greetings other than handshakes, such as simply saying “hello” and smiling.
Wait to unpack. After your belongings are moved consider waiting for another 24 hours before unpacking your things. This is similar to the previous advice because, as was mentioned, the virus can stay up to 24 hours on most surfaces. Also, consider cleaning and disinfecting your new home as soon as possible.
Following these recommendations, you will make sure everyone stays safe during moving. And if you have any questions or concerns about how we deal with the situation, get in touch with us and we will be glad to answer any questions you might have.