Had a brilliant suggestion yesterday from Penelope Kimber, a member of the Biznews community who asks why can’t supermarkets implement one-way aisles – a sure and easy way to improve social distancing. Makes sense to me. If you know anyone who carries weight at Woolies, Pick n Pay, Shoprite or Spar, please drop them a line.
There were even more brilliant suggestions from the inimitable Bill Gates in his 2015 TedTalk. He warned the world a pandemic like Covid-19 was a matter of when, not if. He was invited back last week for advice on what to do now. An edited version headlines episode 13 of our Inside Covid-19 podcast, but if you’d like to invest 50 minutes in the full monty, here’s the link.
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Comment from Biznews community member Paul Hoffman SC:
Dear Alec,
Building on the inspiration of Ms Kimber:
Should shops not limit numbers of shoppers by excluding some at certain times. If the aim is to halve the number of shoppers at any given time to relieve congestion and to promote social isolation then A to M half the hours of opening and N to Z the other half, produce an ID or passport at the entrance to confirm surname. Smaller fractions can be used if greater thinning of crowds is needed; this could also be done at SASSA pay points and the government could regulate the whole system in the interests of preventing the spread of the virus, even in one way aisles in supermarkets. Flexibility is possible if the number of shoppers drops below a set threshold at any time.
The Mauritians have tried the alphabet answer; perhaps we should learn from them.
Best
Paul Hoffman SC.
Comment from Biznews community member Bruce Prescott:
Hi Alec
A good suggestion about the one-way aisles. I wish that something similar would be implemented which makes pedestrians on sidewalks keep left and pass right [or the opposite if they live in right-hand drive countries]. It irks me when I have to keep dodging pedestrians approaching [usually 2 or more abreast, sometimes up to 5].
Kind regards
Bruce.
Comment from Biznews community member Graham Benn:Â
Just for your info – one way isles in U.K. is now commonplace , as are floor markings two mtrs apart, as are smaller shops restricting the number of customers in the shop at any one time.
All measures seen sensible and helpful.
Regards,
Graham.
Comment from Biznews community member Paul Hoffman SC:
Careful now; the naysayers will argue:
- We have trained the general population of SA to be ungovernable and this type of move could be difficult to implement and enforce, even if the security guards at the malls and shops are required to check ID docs and passports tendered
- Getting from an informal settlement to a mall is a major undertaking and the opportunity to do so is limited in so many ways that adding your position on the alphabet to the mix might be more than the transport and logistics system can bear
- It is hard to communicate with SASSA beneficiaries at the best of times.
- The queue of M to Zs waiting their turn in the shop will be a transmission hotbed.
- The freedom to shop when it suits one, especially those still working in essential services or working at all, is a right not to be interfered with lightly.
I happen to think that the greater good is served by requiring of responsible and participative citizens behaviours that limit human congestion and the risk of transmission of the virus. If we get really disciplined about it, the opportunities for transmission will become sufficiently limited to slow the pandemic to a stop. Listen again to Bill Gates describing the rates on a spreadsheet. There can be no pandemic without transmission, so steps to eradicate opportunities for transmission make sense if they are reasonable and proportionate to the issue they seek to address.
Best
Paul.
