St. Paul and region are recommending residents not hold garage sales at this time due to COVID-19.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, the municipalities in the St. Paul region said that: “Garage sales are not considered an essential service.”

The post reads that garage sales may pose health and safety risks because of physical closeness as people browse on driveways or confined garage spaces.

In addition, the post says, the touching and handling of cash and used goods provide an opportunity for surface disease transfer.

However, they say if you are planning to hold a garage sale, you must ensure there is sufficient space in the area to follow physical distancing and provide hand sanitizer and wipes for customers.