HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising folks to practice social distancing to help potential exposure to the coronavirus-- but what does that mean?
They're defining that as keeping six feet between yourself and others. They also recommend avoiding crowds of people.
The reason they advise at least six feet of distance is because the coronavirus can spread through coughs and sneezes.
"The goal of social distancing is to mitigate that spread and contain it. You want to stop that chain of transmission," said Barbara Stripling, Administrator at AHC Millennium, a senior living and rehab center in Huntsville, where social distancing is a precaution they're already practicing.
Some people who become infected with the virus may not see any symptoms initially or may only have mild symptoms-- so it's important to take steps to prevent the spread-- to protect older people or those who may be at a higher risk.
"We're doing that here in our own facility. We've restricted visitation to protect the people here," said Stripling. "Once they're in here, we also have done some social distancing."
In the dining room, seniors are seated about six feet apart from one another. There's also more space now during social activities like Bingo.
"We're moving towards doing it down the hallways and outside their room so the residents come to the room and we use the overhead paging system to still play bingo, to still keep people involved," said Stripling.
For more information from the CDC on preventing virus spread, visit their website.