COVIDSafe Things To Do In Orange County

As Orange County reopens and people head out, how do Orange County activities rank in terms of being COVIDSafe?

Why is Mr. Fox blogging about COVIDSafe things to do in Orange County?

 

Well, with Orange County gradually reopening, we’re all making plans for a long day out in the O.C.

But, while we’re doing that, we need to remember one thing.

And that is…

COVID is still a menace.

Precautions will need to be taken to make your day out in Orange County COVIDSafe.

And that is what this blog is all about.

Blog overview

First, we will go over the basics of remaining COVIDSafe on your day out in Orange County.

Next, we will take a look at various COVID precautions, and how easy/difficult it is to incorporate them into various Orange County activities.

Finally, we will see which Orange County activity is the most COVIDSafe.

Being COVIDSafe in Orange County

We know that the coronavirus spreads through infected air droplets.

Which means we can get infected if we:

• Breathe in infected droplets.
• Touch a surface bearing affected droplets, and then touch our nose or mouth, which can lead to droplets getting through to the lungs.

Sounds grim?

Relax.

It looks worse than it is.

A few precautions can ensure that your day out in the O.C. is COVIDSafe.

Wearing a mask

Wearing a mask while we’re out is one of the best precautions we can take to slow down the virus from spreading, and make our day COVIDSafe.

Aspects of mask wearing

Wearing a mask CAN slow down COVID from spreading.

On the other hand, wearing a mask:

• Can be a bit of a pain, making breathing difficult.
• Can make you feel hot.
• Can make it difficult to talk with people.

Wearing a mask on your Orange County day out

If you think about it,

• Wearing a mask is easy if – what you’re doing doesn’t involve a lot of physical activity, like watching a movie, or doing an escape room.
• Wearing a mask is difficult if – …
  • what you’re doing is physically strenuous, like working out, or 
  • if you’re eating or drinking.

Physical distancing

This involves maintaining a distance of about 2 arms’ length from strangers while you’re out.

Why I don’t call it ‘social’ distancing

We’ve been trapped inside our homes for months. Many people are depressed.

The elderly have been especially hard hit.

If there ever was a time for being sociable, it is NOW.

We need to maintain physical distance from each other, but we need to be sociable.

Private activities

If your activity is private, you automatically don’t have to interact with people outside of your group.

For example, all our escape rooms are always private, and a particular team always has exclusive access to their room throughout their slot.

Aspects of physical distancing

We need to maintain physical distancing from both:

• Other members of the public.
• The staff of the establishment we’re visiting.

Physical distancing on your day out in Orange County

How do different activities compare?

• Physical distancing is easy if – your activity doesn’t need a lot of interaction with EITHER members of the public, OR with the staff, like working out at a gym.
• Physical distancing can be difficult if – …
  • your activity is public, like visiting a mall, or 
  • your activity requires extensive interaction with the staff, like eating out.

Limited group size

If there are fewer people inside the same space, it makes physical distancing between different groups easier.

Appointment-based and batch-based activities

If you are allowed to enter a premises by prior appointment only like with an escape room, or in batches like in a gym, it’s easier to enforce a group size policy.

We will revisit appointment-based activities shortly.

Limited group size in various Orange County activities

How do they stack up?

• Limited group sizes are easy to enforce if – The activity is appointment-based or batch-based, like doing an escape room, or working out at a gym.
• Limited group sizes are difficult to enforce if – The activity is open-access, and/or depends on mass use, like visiting a mall.

Disinfecting between patrons

Periodic disinfection of the premises throughout the day makes it COVIDSafer for its patrons.

Appointment-based and batch-based activities

If patrons arrive and leave at pre-scheduled times only, it’s easier to schedule disinfection sessions between the allotted time slots.

If appointment or enrollment is mandatory, contact tracing, if it’s needed, also becomes easier.

Disinfection between patrons in various Orange County activities

Here’s how various things to do in the O.C. compare:

• Disinfection between patrons is easy if – the activity can only be undertaken in pre-decided groups like working out in a gym.
• Disinfection between patrons is difficult if – the activity is open access, like visiting a mall.

Contactless payment

If all payments are handled online, you won’t have to handle cash or card machines which could be infected surfaces.

Aspects of contactless payment

You can make contactless payment mandatory if the activity has to be booked beforehand.

Contactless payment in various Orange County activities

How do various things to do in Orange County compare with each other?

• Mandatory contactless payment is easy if – the activity is prepaid, like
  • doing an escape room (advance booking), or
  • working out at a gym (monthly subscription)
• Mandatory contactless payment is difficult if – you need to pay on the spot, like eating out.

Hand washing

Soap kills the virus.

That’s why frequent hand washing is a good precaution to keep oneself COVIDSafe.

You can use either soap, or an alcohol based hand rub (with at least 60% alcohol).

Hand washing in various Orange County activities

You can wash your hands whatever you’re doing.

• You can visit the washroom to wash your hands.
• The establishment may offer you hand sanitizer (like a restaurant providing complimentary sanitizer on each table).

How COVIDSafe are the various things to do in Orange County?

Here’s how easy it is to incorporate various COVID hygiene precautions into various Orange County activities:

Escape rooms – a very COVIDSafe activity?

I bet I know what you’re thinking.

As Orange County’s premier escape room, we’re very sneakily giving ourselves a home field advantage here.

But, if you think about it, an escape room does have specific features that make enforcing COVID hygiene precautions easy.

Team activity

An escape room is a team activity; and Fox in a Box escape rooms have always been private events.

This means it’s very easy to avoid interaction with people outside of your group.

Limited interaction with staff

Escape rooms typically don’t require a lot of interaction between the staff and players.

In light of the pandemic

We have streamlined our SOP’s to limit interactions even further.

For example, while earlier there could have been some direct exchanges between games masters and players, now our games masters will interact with you only via a screen display or over a microphone.

Pre-booked sessions

Sessions have to be booked in advance, and teams are asked not to arrive too early, but just on time.

This makes it easy to:

• Route teams so as to avoid two different teams being in close proximity.
• Schedule cleaning and sanitization sessions between successive sessions.
• Contactless payment can be made mandatory.
• Contact tracing, should it be necessary, is easier.

Little physical effort

An escape room is, more often than not, a ‘game of the mind’.

It involves little physical effort.

This makes:

• Wearing a mask not so uncomfortable.
• Frequent hand washing quite easy.

As you can see, it’s not illogical to claim that an escape room is one the most COVIDSafe things to do in Orange County.

Hope this guide helps you plan your day.

Stay safe, and if you are looking for an experience in Orange County that you and your friends will remember, hit us up!