The City of Ottawa is restoring access to some outdoor park facilities and sports fields as part of Ontario’s early-stage reopening plans amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
City crews will immediately start installing tennis nets and unlocking access to off-leash dog areas across Ottawa, according to a release issued late Tuesday.
Mayor Jim Watson tweeted it will take roughly a week to put up nets in the city’s more than 280 tennis courts.
Additionally, basketball courts, soccer fields, baseball diamonds and skate parks are now open for resident use, provided physical distancing measures are maintained.
Benches and picnic tables are also free for residents to take a load off in the warming weather, but the city cautioned that seating is not frequently cleaned.
Ontario’s restrictions limiting gatherings of more than five people not from the same household remain in place.
Exercise equipment, play structures, swings, slides, splash pads and public wading pools are also still off-limits.