Six new outdoor sink stations have been installed in parks throughout the city of Pincourt.
White sinks paired with soap dispensers have been placed in popular playgrounds in the off-island city, located 30 minutes from Montreal.
Accessing the city’s water system, the stations are retrofitted with running water to the park’s water fountains.
The city says the installations are meant to facilitate new handwashing directives amid the coronavirus pandemic and provide a safe environment for families to play.
“The security of the population is the main point, safety of the population is the goal,” city spokesperson Vicky Sauvé said.
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Families and children are asked to wash their hands before and after using the park facilities, especially the playground structures, Sauvé said.
Handwashing is proven to reduce the risk of spreading the virus according to the public health guidelines.
The sinks were installed and operational once parks and playgrounds were reopened to the public across the province on June 5.
Sauvé says the sinks are temporary and will be in place until government guidelines change.
The city confirmed that the equipment for the installations was recently acquired as a preventive COVID-19 measure but did not provide the total price tag for the project.
Sinks can be found at these parks:
- Olympique
- Suroît
- Mont-Bleu
- Des Frênes
- Shamrock
- Bellevue
Suavé says families are asked to bring their own hand sanitizer when visiting parks that do not have outdoor sinks.
“That is everyone’s responsibility to have hand sanitizer in their possession,” Sauvé said.
Park facilities such as washrooms remain closed to the public.