Playgrounds In Illinois Remain Closed To Prevent Coronavirus Spread

From The Center Square:

By Zeta Cross

Playgrounds in Illinois remain closed to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

“I am a parent of a 7-year-old, so I feel for the parents,” said Dan Cooper, director of environmental services for the Chicago Park District. “It’s impractical to keep playgrounds clean and disinfected when you have a lot of kids and a lot of high-touch surface areas.”

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist, told the New York Times that playgrounds are “like the Wild West” where parents don’t have much control.

Kids like playgrounds because they can run all over the place. They are more prone to rub their eyes and noses. Even in the hot summer sun, the virus can lurk on surfaces.

Illinois health officials warn that it is difficult for children to maintain social distancing at a playground.

Park officials across Illinois will continue to look to the state for guidelines when it comes to reopening playgrounds, Cooper said. Will playgrounds be allowed to open when a community reaches Phase 4 of the recovery and people are allowed to gather in crowds of up to 50 people?

That’s not yet clear, Cooper said.

“We are going to keep our eyes on all the guidance and follow that,” he said.

When playgrounds are finally given the go-ahead to reopen, a trip to the playground may require much more parental supervision, experts say.

Parents and children over the age of 2 are encouraged to wear masks. Parents will need to bring hand sanitizer and use it frequently. They will need to be vigilant about wiping down surfaces.

In Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has closed the Chicago lakefront, but there are many other parks and open spaces where people can enjoy the outside, Cooper says.

“We encourage people to responsibly use our open spaces,” Cooper says. “There is a lot of open space and a lot of parks that are open for families to be together and get some exercise. When the public health officials deem them safe, we certainly look forward to reopening the playgrounds.”

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