Coronavirus is here. Wash your hands, pay your people and take care of one another | Opinion

Miami, we’ve got this. If any city knows how to brace itself for a potential crisis, it’s us.

We are well practiced in emergency planning. Every season, we scan the weather reports for hurricanes, we make and implement emergency protocols, and we sustain each other during uncertain times.

It’s time to flex our muscles.

Locals are getting prepared. You can feel it on the roads. You can see it on the shelves. Large events are being canceled. Corporate and elected leaders are beginning to share their plans. But just like in hurricane season, we must place special focus on the large portion of our region that can’t afford for things to shut down for a few weeks.

About 19 percent of our neighbors in Miami live below the poverty line, and an additional 40 percent are “asset limited income constrained, employed.” The United Way produces the stunning ALICE Report on this that is absolutely worth reading.

For a majority of local families, missing a few paychecks is enough to fall into crisis. There are thousands of kids in our city who rely on schools for their only meals. If schools make the difficult choice to go online, how will those children eat? I know Miami-Dade County Public Schools is thinking long and hard about this. We all should, too.

There are many questions we need to be asking, far beyond just whether we have enough hand sanitizer at home. As we brace ourselves for the worst, and hope for the best, we need to be thinking about all of Miami, because that’s the kind of city we want to live in.

Here are eight tips for engaged locals as we prepare for a potential health emergency. May we be overprepared and underwhelmed by what’s to come. And may we always represent our values as a city, even in our moments of greatest challenge.

1. Pay: If you employ hourly workers, consider paying them even if you cancel appointments or services during this time. Hourly workers rely on you for their income and will be especially vulnerable right now. Not only is this humane, but it is a safety precaution. If people are at risk of not being able to eat or care for their families, they will continue to work while sick, putting others in danger. Pay people. Relax typical sick policies. Allow people to protect themselves, their families and the others around them.

2. Tip: If you are in a position to do so, tip generously right now. As traffic slows down, workers who rely on tips are going to feel squeezed.

3. Donate: Every time you fill up your cart, think about those who cannot do the same. Call local organizations that support people in moments of crisis, and ask what they need right now. Consider donating money instead of stuff.

4. Wave: Don’t touch people. You have no idea who has a compromised immune system. What may feel safe to you could actually be quite dangerous for others. Don’t assume. And because of the long incubation period for this virus, you may have no idea that you are carrying it. Keep your body to yourself.

5. Be anti-racist: There has been an uptick in xenophobic behaviors. Cut that out. And don’t tolerate it from others.

6. Check on people: This virus is especially threatening to the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. Reach out to those in your life who might be feeling increased fear. They might value you dropping off some soap or canned goods — and, for the love of God, don’t hug them when you go over. Big, loving waves and smiles.

7. Boost your immune system: For the most part, healthy people find this virus to be milder. So be at your healthiest. Sleep well. Minimize stress. Eat your veggies. Consider probiotics, vitamins, or other supplements. Minimize sugar and alcohol. Get those steps in. Set yourself up to be at your strongest.

8. Solve: We are a global and entrepreneurial city. We must support local leaders to find solutions to the inevitable issues to come, from supply shortages to healthcare worker strains. Ask your elected and neighborhood leaders what’s needed and be a source of support.

Stay healthy and safe, Miami. We’re in this boat together. Row.

Rebecca Fishman Lipsey is the founder and CEO of Radical Partners, an accelerator for social-impact ventures.