How to Safely Ride in an Elevator Amid COVID-19

Elevator wars are breaking out across the country amid the worsening COVID-19 pandemic. In Florida, a surveillance camera captured an elderly couple getting into an elevator with a two-person only rule and stopping another passenger from stepping in.

When the elevator stopped at another floor and someone else tried to get on, a shoving match ensued. In another video, a woman got into it with a man who says he was putting his mask on in the elevator.

It’s understandable why some people have been getting tense when it comes to being in a confined space like an elevator with other people. NYU public health professor Jack Caravanos urges everyone to wear a mask when they ride in an elevator.

He also says “don’t crowd people” and to avoid conversation and laughing. When asked about touching the buttons, Caravanos recommended pressing the button with a hard object, or even using a knuckle. And when the elevator arrives, don’t get in unless everyone is wearing a mask, he said.

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