COVID-19

Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, everyone is trying to be at home to be safe from the infection. Now is the time when you should take every precautionary measure to stay away from the deadly virus. The current lockdown in India has been extended further to 3rd May 2020. In that case, you can understand the seriousness of the situation. Government is trying very hard to curb the losses. Social distancing has become a common practice of our lives, but particularly when leaving home, it must be practised. Although we try our best not to leave our home, we end up going to the ATM or bank to withdraw money and get the important stuff. Make sure you keep your transaction secure and even safer for yourself. Here is the list of 15 atm safety tips and suggestions that you should follow while withdrawing money from ATM and banks:

How to Safely Withdraw Money from ATM and Banks

    1. Wear face masks before leaving your home.
      Earlier, the CDC (Centres for Disease Control) said that not everyone needs to wear masks while going outside. But the rapid increase in the number of coronavirus cases across the world has forced authorities to take a different approach. It is highly recommended that you drape a fabric cloth or good quality mask while going outside where there is a crowd and you can’t maintain the standard distance of 6 feet. You can also wear homemade masks that are equally effective at blocking large particles like sneezes and coughs. Also, the government has marked several hotspot areas where there is a greater risk of coronavirus infection. You can see the list of coronavirus app launched by the Indian Government especially the “Aarogya Setu” app.
    2. Keep a good stock of sanitizers with you
      Apart from practising social distancing, the only thing that can kill the deadly coronavirus is the good old soap and water. But it’s not practical to use soap and water when outside in the current lockdown situation, so use alcohol-based hand sanitizers instead. Whenever you are leaving your home to withdraw money from an ATM or buy groceries, remember to keep a good quality hand sanitizer with you.

  1. Carry wet wipes and tissues along with you
    Although you may not want to touch things in public places, there are some situations when you have to do so. Like you can’t withdraw money from an ATM without touching and pressing those big buttons. In that case, this is one of the helpful ATM cash withdrawal safety tips to follow. You should use wipes and tissues to wipe the surface before you touch them. That way, you can be assured that there are no viruses present on the surface. Don’t forget to throw those wipes in the dustbin and rub your hands with hand sanitizer, otherwise, there is a great chance that some of the viruses may have stuck to your hands through those dirty wipes.
  2. Stay at home if you are not feeling well
    Sick people are advised to remain at home by health experts and doctors. If you are not feeling well or if showing symptoms of COVID-19, then do not go outside, however necessary it may be. Send someone else in your place but do not risk others’ lives by going outside.
  3. You are not going outside to meet people
    If you are outside and meet some people you are familiar with, it’s not the right time to show your love for them. Avoid handshake, hugging, or any other bodily contacts. A simple namaste from a distance will suffice.
  4. Make digital payment as often as possible
    The more you go outside to withdraw money or buy groceries, the more your chances of getting coronavirus infection becomes. So, be an active participant in digital India. Use online payment options like Paytm, Google Pay, PhonePe, etc to pay. Use cash only when there is no option of digital payment available. This will significantly reduce your chances of getting infected with the deadly coronavirus.

 

What Can You do at an ATM and Bank

 

There’re some ATM safety precautions to be taken while entering and withdrawing money. Remember! Social distancing is a must. Do not take your life at risk.

  1. Don’t use your bare hands to open the door
    An ATM is a breeding ground for germs and viruses. So you should take extra precautions while visiting an ATM. Do not use your bare hands on doorknobs or handles to open. That dirty thing is not made to touch with bare hands, especially during this coronavirus pandemic. If you have gloves, then don’t be shy to wear those. You can also use wipes or tissues if you don’t have gloves.
  2. Maintain proper distance
    The first and foremost thing while practising social distancing is to maintain a standard gap of 6 feet from others. It becomes very important for you not to come in close contact with anyone, even if they are your friends/colleagues/relatives. So, if a person is already inside the ATM, don’t climb those stairs to be the first in line. Maintain a proper distance and tell others also to do the same.
  3. Avoid touching anything in the ATM or bank
    DO NOT touch any object in the ATM. It is possible that the same thing may have been touched by a corona infected person, so do your business and get out of that room without unnecessarily touching objects like walls, ATM machine body, windows, platforms, etc.
  4. Do not let anyone enter into the ATM
    It’s a common rule that not more than one person is allowed inside the ATM at the same time. But, don’t forget, it’s India and people enter the ATM either to ask if the ATM is giving money or just to remind that there are other people standing outside. That is not a social distancing thing, so don’t let anyone enter into the ATM while you are inside.
  5. Use wipes or tissues to avoid infection
    Now is the time to make full use of those wipes and tissues that we had suggested to keep with you when going outside. Do not touch those hard-to-press buttons of the ATM with your bare hands. Use wipes or tissues to do all the transactions. Thereafter, throw those wipes away.
  6. Cover your nose with tissue or elbow while coughing or sneezing
    In case you are feeling like coughing or sneezing, always remember to cover your nose with a tissue or your elbow. Don’t throw the used tissue anywhere around. That might be contagious so dispose of that tissue in a dustbin.

 

After you get out of the ATM

 

  1. Do not touch your face
    Even if you practice all the safe steps to avoid getting coronavirus infection, you are never 100 per cent sure. Your hands might be full of those dirty viruses. So avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose.
  2. Wash your hands and feet
    As soon as you reach home, do not touch any object. The first thing that you should do is to go to the washroom and wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. That will ensure that any coronavirus sticking to your hands will be flushed down in the sewer.
  3. Don’t neglect your car and home
    It doesn’t hurt to wipe off your car/bike and surfaces in your home after you get back from outside, particularly if you share it with others. The most popular channel for the spread of viruses is person-to-person contact but viruses and bacteria can also spread by objects and other types of indirect physical contact.

 

After following these tips and suggestions, we are sure that you should be safe from coronavirus infection. If you are getting bored staying at home, we have a list of amazing things to do during coronavirus lockdown. The best thing that you can do is transact digitally. Make the minimal usage of cash and tell others also to do the same. Government, authorities, doctors, and researchers are doing their best to develop a cure or vaccine for the coronavirus. So, be safe and healthy.

Recent Posts


Author: Prince Mishra


Prince is an SEO Content Writer at Yescom India Softech Pvt. Ltd. He has more than 3 years of experience in writing SEO-friendly content and that can be seen in his blogs and articles. A foodie by nature, Prince has travelled to different parts of India,