City of London, Ont. closes all outside play structures amid COVID-19 pandemic

In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the City of London is expanding its list of closures to include all outside play structures.

The decision will affect playgrounds skate parks, and multi-use courts effective Tuesday.

In a statement released on Monday, City officials said this is in keeping with Premier Doug Ford’s directive to close all non-essential businesses to reinforce the importance of social distancing.

“Site visits by City officials as well as concerns raised by the public have indicated that many of these precautions were not being followed, especially physical distance,” the statement went on to say.

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City parks and open spaces will, however, remain open. Still, the City asks that people continue to practice social distancing by standing six feet apart and avoiding all non-essential gatherings.

This decision comes after the City cancelled all city-operated programs and close the facilities where those programs are run over a week ago.

Last week, the City also moved to essential services only, which included closing City Hall, arenas, community centres and senior’s centres, pools, libraries, golf courses and Provincial Offences Court and social services offices to the public.

Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are asked to self-isolate for 14 days in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others.

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.

For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.