On a typical weekend, shopping centres would be bustling and Kingston’s downtown would be filled with shoppers and tourists.
But not on this Saturday afternoon.
This is the first weekend since Mayor Brian Patterson declared a state of emergency on Thursday afternoon.
This means the city is now using all options to protect the health and safety of its residents.
This includes the closure of all park amenities and playgrounds. The move means play structures, slides, swings and other equipment are off-limits.
A number of kids Global News spoke with were disappointed but understood the need for the closures.
“It’s annoying because whenever I want to go for a walk, I want to go to a park,” says Cole Catterall. “When we went here, I asked if we could go to the park. It’s just so annoying and sad.”
“A lot of people would like to go to parks but they can’t because of the coronavirus,” adds little sister Grace.
To help inform residents, the city has placed these signs at all of their parks, letting people know that the equipment is not sanitised.
Sports fields and baseball diamonds are also off-limits, as are the city’s off-leash dog parks.
“Walk throughs” of parks are still allowed, but taking a break at a picnic table or bench is not allowed.
The city says it won’t be enforcing the closures but may implement stricter enforcement measures if needed.
At this point, it’s unknown how long these restrictions will be put in place.
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