All city of Lethbridge play structures, outdoor fitness equipment, park benches and picnic tables are set to reopen on Friday.
With this, all residents must comply with COVID-19 public health orders, which include gathering restrictions, and physical distancing of two metres between individuals that aren’t from the same household.
Officials are reminding those who are sick with or have symptoms of the virus must not use any of the public amenities.
As the 123 playgrounds across the city reopen, people are also being reminded to be more cautious as the city will not be supervising them.
“That is going to require parents and caregivers of the children using the playground to be extra vigilant and probably provide more supervision than maybe they’ve had to in the past,” said park manager David Ellis.
Ellis said practicing safety measures like regular hand washing, using hand sanitizer and not touching your face are imperative.
“We obviously have not got the ability to clean the playgrounds between every use, so that is going to be a responsibility of the parents and caregivers,” Ellis said.
The city says people should also consider other safety precautions such as:
- Only visiting playgrounds that are close to their home
- Taking into account the risk posed by frequently used playgrounds
- Limiting periods of congregating with others when entering and leaving these areas
- Maintaining physical distancing when returning to vehicles and homes
Residents should also be aware that the playground at Henderson park will not be reopening for another week due to construction.
Public washrooms and and picnic shelters will remain closed, and the city hasn’t given any information on when those will open.
Each municipality in Alberta is approaching the opening of playgrounds differently based upon their own situations and needs.
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