How do I allow an electrician into my home and be most safe from covid?
Something has blown the outlets in two rooms (including kitchen) and we're going to need an electrician to find the trouble.
I am very nervous about this.
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Not only will s/he actually know what they are doing & find/fix the problem quickly, but union might have rules about masks for everyone's safety.
My guess is that the problem could well be a neutral issue, which likely would be found in the meter box or breaker box, hopefully outside or in the garage. (?)
Have had similar issues in nearly every apartment & home I rented in the south - non union states. Not sure what it is, but non union "electricians" do not seem to grasp the concept & importance of correct wiring.
Very, very common for flames to shoot out of light switches & outlets, among other nightmare scenarios. I could literally write a horror novel about issues I've experienced like this.
If it is a neutral wiring problem, it shouldn't take a qualified union electrician but a few minutes to diagnose & tighten down. If it is a neutral issue, electrician will likely find & fix at meter box or breaker box, so exposure could be minimal.
They daisy chain everything together, rather than running separate circuits, to save $ on wiring, without a care in the world as to the nightmares this causes. And they brag about this. 
I was beyond thrilled to purchase a home, which we IMMEDIATELY and correctly rewired with a thick gauge, copper wire for the reasons stated. We also changed out every light switch & outlet to "commercial" grade. The kind where the installer actually screws down the end of the wire in the outlet or switch box. These days, "backslashing" is the quickest & cheapest type, so that's the kind they use. (Installer only has to push wire through a small area with a sharp edge & that is supposed to cut the insulation & make contact for flow.)
I would go to lowes or home depot (not a fan of the latter) & purchase 2 outlets of the commercial grade & have electrician swap them out.
You can also call your local IBEW office & ask for names of contractors that do residential work who use union electricians. I've done this!
You might mention to electrician that you suspect a possible neutral problem so s/he goes straight to meter box & breaker box. A neutral problem would explain the apparent systemic nature of the problem.
It is also possible that a spike in juice, perhaps from neutral problem, might have fried wiring the attic or walls, so please remain vigilant. And ask electrician to test for this.
If it is a neutral problem, this is an *extremely* dangerous situation! Please make sure smoke detector alarm batteries are fresh!
There are tons of videos on you tube showing the effects of neutral wiring issues.
Please keep us updated!
... my apartment for days over the Summer, after an underground water pipe broke under the foundation of my unit.
I asked all of them to wear masks, but I KNOW that didn't last!
I also put up two plastic barriers with painter's tape on each side of their main work areas, with zippers to basically turn them into doorways.
I stayed in my bedroom as they were inside. It was hot outside, so I could endure turning off the A/C and covering my floor vent too. Then I kept my bedroom window open a crack.
Since the toilet was temporarily removed during their work, I turned a 5-gallon pet food bucket (with a tight lid) that was lined with small trash bags into my new toilet in the bedroom. A foldable bedside commode chair was placed over it, and I had odor-killing cat litter in there too. And a water jug to hold any urine.
Then I wore an N100 mask after they left and cleaned/sanitized their work areas hours later each time. It went on like that for days.
I feel your pain!
Edit: Just do whatever you can to limit their spread of aerosols, and then try to sanitize and air out the place later.
Edit2: Some of my prep-items below, although I doubt that you'll need the toiletry stuff. (Lol.)
