Heading into fall, the City of London is in the process of reopening community centres and arenas to allow for recreational programming to restart amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The city initially closed all areas and community centres in March in response to the spread of the virus.
The reopening will see the restart of some drop-in programs and swimming and skating programs, with several COVID-19 safety precautions in place to ensure health and safety.
The timeline for reopening select recreation facilities is:
October 5
- Kiwanis Seniors Centre
- North London Optimist Community Centre
- Byron Community Centre
- South London Community Centre
- Boyle Memorial Community Centre
October 10
- Stronach Arena (the community centre will open on October 19)
- Kinsmen Arena (the community centre will open on October 19)
- Medway Arena (the community centre will open on October 19)
- Bostwick Arena
Carling Arena, Lambeth Arena (the community centre will open on Oct. 19), Argyle Arena and Earl Nichols Arena opened on Sept. 28.
To help ensure safety, the city said in a release that all programs have been modified to follow health guidelines and provincial restrictions like physical distancing, group size restrictions and staggered start times.
Anyone entering a facility will also be required to complete a health assessment upon arrival, and attendance will be recorded for contact tracing.
Face coverings will be required at all times inside for those 12 and up except for those engaging in physical activity such as fitness programs or swimming.
Participants will be required to wear a mask while travelling to and from their program and are permitted to remove it while participating in their program activity and maintaining a distance of at least two metres from others.
The city says masks will not be provided for participants.
The number of people allowed inside will also be limited to only staff, participants and caregivers/guardians.
Registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis online and by phone at 519-661-5575.