One swimmer at a time? Community pools adjust to social distancing due to coronavirus
A summer without swimming?
More and more pools across the U.S. won’t open as the weather heats up due to the coronavirus pandemic. Those that are welcoming swimmers could look a lot different than ever before with some limiting occupancy to just one swimmer.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there’s no evidence that the COVID-19 virus can spread through water in pools, spas, hot tubs or play areas. A properly maintained pool disinfected with chlorine or bromine should kill the virus in water, the CDC says.
That doesn’t necessarily mean swimming pools are safe. Swimmer should still protect themselves at pool facilities by practicing social distancing and good hygiene in and out of the water, according to the CDC.
The CDC also has issued cleaning and disinfecting guidelines for owners and operators of pools, hot tubs and spas to follow here.
The pandemic is forcing health officials to close pools or get creative with reopening.
In Boise, Idaho, the city shut down pools, citing social distancing guidelines and the cost of opening for a shorter season, the Statesman reported. Two cities in the Kansas City suburbs closed pools for the summer and a third may follow suit, despite state rules that would allow them to open, according to the Kansas City Star.
Texas is opening swimming pools, but they will be limited to 25% occupancy and local governments can decide to close them, the Star-Telegram reported.
North Carolina will keep pools closed at least until May 22, WTVD reported. The state will let day camps use pools only if local health authorities allow it, McClatchy News reported.
Riverside, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, issued guidance this week that pools operated by apartment complexes and homeowners’ associations should allow only “one swimmer at a time,” The Desert Sun reported. The city iterated that this is only a guidance, not a rule.
Arkansas will allow pools to open on May 22 — with special restrictions and rules, KHBS reported. People who enter pool areas must be screened for fever and those who’ve had contact with someone with COVID-19 won’t be allowed to enter, the news outlet reported.
Additionally, slides and diving board waiting areas will be marked with six feet of social distancing guidelines and water chemistry must be tested twice a day, among other rules, the Arkansas TV station reported.
This story was originally published May 7, 2020 at 1:36 PM with the headline "One swimmer at a time? Community pools adjust to social distancing due to coronavirus."