Today, there are more than 2200 COVID-19 cases in BC (including Surrey) and at least 3 million cases globally. To slow the spread of the coronavirus, we’ve had to adapt our lives to practice physical (social) distancing. We’re avoiding gatherings, delaying our travel plans, and spending more time at home.
But, you can’t stay home if your lease is ending or you’ve sold your house. So, how can you keep your family safe while moving during the coronavirus?
Luckily, we’ve taken steps to keep everyone safe. Read on to learn about the safety measures our Surrey moving company is taking as well as what you can do to keep your family safe.
We’re Offering Virtual Consultations
For a typical move, we’d come to your house for a pre-move consultation to assess the situation. But with our new coronavirus safety guidelines, we’re now offering and encouraging a virtual option.
At Crescent Moving and Storage, we can handle the consultation over the phone or through an online video conferencing program. This update limits the face-to-face contact between our staff and your family. It will keep everyone safer. If you’re looking for a quote on moving costs, you can fill out the form on our website. We can provide an accurate and no obligation estimate without coming to your house.
We’re Monitoring the Health of Our Moving Crew Members
As part of our new guidelines, we’re also telling our crew members to stay home if they have any of the official symptoms of COVID-19. These include fever, cough, trouble breathing, or pneumonia.
We’re also asking our employees to stay home if they’ve traveled outside of Canada in the past 14 days, even if they don’t have any symptoms. 14 days is the length of the incubation period for the virus, according to public health experts.
We’ll also call twice in the days leading up to your scheduled move—48 hours and 24 hours before the move. We’ll ask if anyone in your home is sick or self-isolating since our crew members have to go inside your house. We do this to protect our crew, your family, and our other customers.
We’re Encouraging Proper Hand Hygiene and Disinfecting Surfaces
Public health experts recommend everyone to wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or longer. If water isn’t available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. These same hand hygiene guidelines apply to our moving crew.
To help our crew follow these guidelines during the moving process, we’re recommending our customers provide a hand washing area for the crew. Our crew members may also bring hand sanitizer to use.
If it’s possible, designate a sink in your home and provide soap and disposable towels for the crew to use. Disinfect the sink area and throw the towels away after the crew leaves.
We’re also encouraging our customers to disinfect high-touch surfaces like light switches, handrails, and door knobs. You should do this both before the crew arrives and after they leave.
You are also encouraged to use your own pen when signing our paperwork on moving day.
We’re Maintaining Physical (Social) Distance During the Move
You can also expect our crew and staff members to follow physical (social) distancing guidelines. That means keeping at least 6 feet or 2 meters between our crew and customers.
These safety guidelines will protect both your family and our crew members.
More Safety Measures You Can Take to Protect Your Family
While postponing your move is ideal, sometimes it’s not possible. If it’s necessary for your family to move at this time, here are a few extra steps you can take.
These extra precautions are in addition to our own health and safety measures.
1. Limit the Number of People Around During the Move
Another simple way to stay safe during your move is to limit the number of family members in the house. In fact, the Canadian Movers Association recommends having only one or two people in the house when the moving crew is there.
If you have kids or pets, set up an area away from the movers. This can be the backyard or a room that the movers won’t need to access.
Designate one family member to deal with the movers and sign the paperwork. That way you’ll limit your family’s exposure. Plus, the movers can focus on efficiency when they’re not worrying about kids or pets underfoot.
2. Try to Use New Moving Boxes
There’s been evidence to suggest that the coronavirus can live on hard surfaces for several days. That’s why using new moving boxes is ideal.
If you need to go out for moving supplies, try to get everything in one trip. Stock up on cardboard moving boxes, tape, labels, and anything else you might need.
3. Plan the Details of Your Move
If you’re renting an apartment, decide ahead of time how you’ll get the keys to your landlord. See of you can set up a contact-free return.
If you’re moving long distance, have a plan for hotel stays on the way. Understand cancellation policies and what to expect. It’s also a good idea to bring along disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, and non-medical face masks.
If you’ll be crossing provinces during your move, make sure you understand the local health and safety guidelines, especially when it comes to Canadian travel. Knowing what to expect when you arrive will take the stress out of the moving process.
Start Preparing for Your Move Today
Moving has always been a stressful event, but it’s even more stressful during the COVID-19 pandemic. The good news is, with the right planning and preparation, you can take away some of that stress.
It’s also never been more important to hire a moving company you can communicate with and trust. If you’re looking for moving services in Surrey, contact us today.