Georgia public swimming pools will be allowed to re-open this week, Governor Brian Kemp confirmed on Tuesday. Like many other states, public pools will need to adhere to a strict set of guidelines, including but not limited to: limiting gatherings to 10 people where six-feet distances cannot be maintained.
“They can reopen if they comply with all applicable requirements,” a statement from the governor’s office said. “Operators need to contact their local health department to determine if and when they need an inspection, what local mandates apply, etc. The Governor’s order still requires that, even if they are open, users must comply with social distancing mandates, and the large gathering ban applies where more than ten people in a single location must maintain at least six feet between each person.”
Summer camps, movie theaters and bowling alleys will also be able to open under the government order. Swimming will be permitted at summer camps if swimming facilities are available, and to stagger the times to prevent overcrowding in the water. Georgia joins Texas as one of the few of the states to open up its public pools after the coronavirus caused a lot of concerns over the future of this summer activity.
Swimming Through a Pandemic
The postponements and cancellations wrought by COVID-19 haven’t just affected the Olympics and the ranks of elite swimmers. They’ve trickled down to neighborhood clubs and summer youth leagues, affecting thousands of recreational and competitive swimmers alike. Here is some of our coverage of COVID-19’s effect on the American summer swimming calendar.
- Connecticut Swimmer Launches Petition to Reopen Pools
- As More States Reopen Pools for Summer, Obstacles Remain
- USA Swimming California LSCs Pen Letter to Governor Requesting Pools Open
- Chattanooga Swim League Joins Cancellation List as COVID-19 Restrictions Elsewhere Ease
- David Marsh to California Gov. Gavin Newsom: “We’d Love to Get These Pools Open”
- Summer Leagues Cancel in Illinois, Missouri and Tennessee; On Hold in Delaware
- Summer Leagues Cancel in Ohio, Nebraska; California Fights To Open Pools
- Northern Virginia Swimming League Cancels Season Officially, But Unofficial Meets Might Go On
- Decisions Loom in Several States to Determine Fate of Summer Swimming
- ‘Tremendously Difficult’ Decisions Loom for Summer Swimming Clubs
- Texas Pools Begin to Open, But Some Cities Holding Back
- With ‘Great Pain,’ Coastal Carolina Aquatic Association Cancels Summer Season
- Kentucky LSC Files Proposal to Reopen Pools in State
Resources for returning to the pool in the COVID-19 era
- COVID-19 Pools Guidance Updated By CDC On “Healthy Environments & Operations”
- Chlorine Not a Guaranteed Answer to Covid-19; Detailed Protocols The Way to Go, Says Expert
- USA Swimming Unveils Road to Competition Roadmap For Summer Return
- Pool Water Unlikely to Spread Coronavirus But Facility Environments Need Careful Handling, Says Expert
- Swim Practice Social Distancing Protocol
- The Worries and Concerns of Lap Swimming When Pools Open
- Proper Ways for Teams and Athletes to Resume Training (USA Swimming)
- Is the Water Safe From Coronavirus? Considerations for Return to the Pool
- Pools and Swimming: Getting Back in the Water Safely
- Coronavirus And Swimmers: CDC Issues Guidance On Water Transmission & COVID-19
With strict guidelines as is approoriate
Our local pool has opened to lap swimming. They are renting lanes online in one hour blocks. Those with memberships are free , those without are $5 per hour. My daughters swim team is not back yet, but at least she’s getting in the pool 3 days a week.
What a racket! You have to pay on top of the membership dues that you already pay to use the facility that you built and financed! Nice!
Jason Barnard , no, members are free. Most community pools charge fees to use or you buy a membership. I’m just happy she can swim
I like this idea.
gosh this would be amazing! my daughter went from an hour a day 5 days a week 10 months a year to nothing…would love nothing more for her to get an hour a week at least…but im in upstate new york i dont see that happening at all…so getting a wetsuit and she will swim in gmas pond as soon as its a touch warmer
What a misleading picture to go with this headline! Way to start the argument Swimming World! No way the pool just opening this week looks anything like this! LOL!!!
Jason Barnard bro get a life
Sha Oui can’t! The pool’s closed!
Jason Barnard touché ?
Sha Oui You’re in LA! You’re locked down for the whole summer!!!!
Jason Barnard nobody is happy about that here but the last thing I want is my swimmers and family dying from covid because we resumed practice too early
That pool needs some new lane lines , may as well swim open water ??. Lane lines are free right??
Sha Oui All you have to do is stay home then.
Nah,people don’t need to stay home.Or maybe the selfish irresponsible ones do.Just follow the guidelines and don’t ruin it for everyone else or things will get shutdown again.
There should be NO guidelines. People need to go back to normal fully and completely NOW.
Kimberly Joy oh but there is a plethora of armchair epidemiologists who wil tell you, “but! but! but!”
Here’s your problem,people can’t follow directives.The sooner you do,the quicker normal happens.Otherwise,things get shutdown again.
YESSSS!
Kimberly Joy wow that’s great advice! Not!
Let’s gooooo!!!
Meems Hoover
Laura Kulp Heebner
Open up !!!
georgia…. figures
says someone from California??? ???
Greg Simmon yes, says someone from California. Your from Snellville GA.
Debbie Terry and I feel sorry for you.
Greg Simmon – Now that’s a new one!
The Governor of Nevada has remained silent on public pools in Nevada. I do not suspect that he will be following the lead of Georgia and Texas. Should he, he would be excoriated by his masters from California, Oregon and Washington. ???
Wulf Kuehmstedt be careful!!
We will, we are 65 and older we are suppose to wait til June the 12th. The Governor said !
Way to go Georgia!
This picture spells doomsday for swimmers who have already suffered enough. It will end up getting pools closed again because this is not how they should or even are opening.
Isn’t in this the empty headed BS we heard 19 days ago when Georgia reopened?
How have they done since then any way ?
Susan Dawson-Cook swimming world once again going the #cnn route and using some unrelated stock photo vs doing some actual thinking and work. Horrible reporting by these guys
Susan Dawson-Cook try not to drown in your stupidity.
Hermes Oliva wow, you’re super sweet! I hope I run into you on deck (not so much)…
Susan Dawson-Cook even if this wasn’t a stock photo – how do you know from your armchair who is in a family unit that can be as close together as they want. Otherwise it looks like most people are 6 feet apart. The chlorinated water kills the virus (per experts), so what is the risk?
Rob Richardson, I would have liked to picture of lap swimming since it’s Swimming World instead of a picture that more resembles public free for all at the pool, which doesn’t seem too safe yet.
Tennessee is opening!
I will take my chances depending on what my gym decides to do. I will get one of those stupid snorkel masks for laps though.
Unfollowing you swimming world. Why does a swimming page have an obviously biased and political agenda?
Moving to Georgia!!!!
We’re still locked down tight up here in Canada. This too shall pass.
Why are they using this stupid stock photo?
Thank you Georgia !❤️
Stay Safe Peach ? State!
This virus ? is super tricky and harsh.
Sadly it’s not happening here….
Alice Tiuseco Pergolini
Leslie Cichocki yes, you should. Come on down and visit us. We would love to have you and explore Georgia. Just let me know and would love to have you stay with us while you’re down here. ?
Georgia is in the top ten in the USA in the amount of deaths due to the virus. I personally put more value on life and would not move there just yet my friends!
?♂️
Lots of people will be traveling
I want to to GA where they have real people in charge
Cindy Sykes Denny who’s stopping you. Go see if you can become a Covid19 statistic.
Sure since I have a .01% of catching it
Cindy Sykes Denny I’m not American but you might find that in those particular states the population density is greater and has nothing to do with whether it is R or D. Taken on a country to country comparison then the US is not doing so well ?stay safe?
Cindy Sykes Denny Transplanted Yankee HAPPILY down here in Georgia where pools are open and kids are exercising!
John Eife there wasn’t anything stopping your athletes from exercising the last 2.5 months. I’ve got mine going 2x a day. Probably the fittest they’ve ever been? And they are bonding in ways they never did before.
Suzanna Skroback
Pepita Villanueva José Urueta Flores
Héctor Ruvalcaba ¡excelente noticia!
Nada más con que sean muy estrictos en los protocolos de seguridad y no deben tener problema.
I think pools are one of the safest places you could be…. we KNOW sunlight kills the virus, We KNOW chlorine kills the virus and there are studies showing that there is very little chance of spread in open air environments. Don’t come to the pool if you feel sick or if you are scared. The rest of us will enjoy it.
Absolutely, bathing in bleach, albeit, diluted, and the occasional ingestion, what could be better. Keeping the pools closed, as some HOA’s are, will just lead to overcrowding at the few open ones and overcrowded beaches around the lake.