Public Health Words You Need to Know

Social Distancing

The goal of social distancing is to increase the distance between people so illness cannot easily spread. This could include:

• Avoiding crowded places
• Working from home
• Changing work schedules and patterns to minimize contact
• Maintain a 6 foot space barrier from other people as much as possible

Restriction of Movement

• Restriction of movement is travel limited into or out of an area or the county to keep illness contained in a geographic spot.

Cancellation of mass gatherings

• Cancellation of mass gatherings reduces contact between people by limiting public gatherings and temporarily closing locations where many people might gather.

Isolation For People Who Are ill

• Isolation refers to the separation of persons who are ill from those who are healthy and the restriction of their movement to stop the spread of that illness. This means staying home, having no contact with people during your illness.

Quarantine

• Quarantine refers to the separation and restriction of movement of persons who, while not yet ill, have been exposed to an infectious agent and may become ill. This means staying home until you know that you did not get ill and/or will no longer spread the disease.
• Learn more about quarantine and isolation from the CDC here