Is Your Pool Following Safe Guidelines During Covid-19 Pandemic? Check Here to be Sure

Pool Open
Photo Courtesy: Andy Ross
Is Your Pool Following Safe Guidelines During Covid-19 Pandemic? Check Here to be Sure
Around the country, and moreso in some locales than others, individuals are splashing around in public pools, logging laps or following the guidance of coaches. The adjusted return to pool life has called for dilligence to maintain social distancing and to limit the spread of COVID-19. Here, we rerun the Pool Management Group’s guidelines for what constitutes safe measures for the opening and use of public pools. How is your pool doing? Are these measures in place, and are individuals following them?
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How can pools open safely as lockdown measures start to ease? The Pool Management Group, which updates COVID-19-related guidance to pool owners and users on a regular basis, set out its view of how pools could gradually start to open up again after stay-at-home orders were lifted in the United States.

With permission, we replicate PMG’s guidance on how they see pools opening up safely in a controlled process.

In response to the comments left on this article, here are some further-reading recommendations from Craig Lord:

Commentary by Pool Management Group:

How do you create a safe swim environment with the threat of COVID-19?

  1. Establish a new maximum number of people allowed in the pool facility at one time.
  2. Set up blocks of pool time for people to reserve.
  3. Establish a disinfecting schedule.
  4. Establish a reservation method. 

Introduction

After Stay at Home orders are no longer in place, it’s important that swimming pools open in a safe manner that reduces the spread of COVID-19. The good news is the pool environment lends itself to successfully accomplishing this objective:

  • Social Distancing is easily achieved – With a mix of the strategies such as those provided here, we can all accommodate social distancing around the pool.
  • Chlorine in swimming pools disables coronavirus
  • Outdoor wide-open environment
  • Sunshine kills coronavirus 

DETAILED STRATEGIES FOR SWIMMING POOLS TO OPEN SAFELY

1.     ESTABLISH NEW POOL FACILITY CAPACITY LIMITS TO SUPPORT SOCIAL DISTANCING (Social Distancing Capacity)

Aside from stating that the social distance policy is in effect at the pool, pool owners may want to limit the number of people allowed inside the pool area at any one time. This basically is creating a new ‘Social Distancing Capacity’. Lowering the number of people allowed at the pool will make it possible (and more likely) for people to maintain minimum 6 ft. distancing.

A)  Determining a Social Distancing Capacity

Pools Open Safely

Photo Courtesy: Cathleen Pruden

The goal is to use some method to determine how many people can be at the pool facility and still maintain 6 feet distancing. There may be clear guidelines from your Health Department before opening day. If not, here are some possible methods (there are many possibilities):

*Assumption: Pool users of the same household will come to the pool together and, since they live in the same space, will not be practicing social distancing with each other.

Note: Below are only two examples of methods that could be used to determine a Social Distancing Capacity that would support social distancing happening at a swimming pool. There are many methods that can be used, including general estimations or requirements of your Health Department.

METHOD 1–  Assumes that, for space calculation purposes, there will be one single chair, then 6’ of space in all directions to the next single chair. This calculation results in one person for every 170 square feet of pool deck, assuming that a typical pool chaise is 2.5 ft. x 7 ft.

Measure the useable pool deck (where chairs can be placed) and divide by 170 sq. ft.

If a pool had useable deck space of 4,250 sq. ft., the maximum occupancy would be 25 people (4,250/170).

METHOD 2–  Assumes that, for space calculation purposes, there will be one single chair, then 6’ of space to the next single chair, then 6’ to the next single chair, etc.

Assume chair space is 2.5’. Then, 2.5’ plus 6’ of distancing space equals 8.5’ of deck space.

Next, measure the perimeter of the pool deck  (the linear feet of deck) where chairs can be placed and then divide that number by 8.5 ft.

If a pool had 220 linear feet of deck space for chairs, the maximum occupancy would be 25 people (220/8.5).

Note – there may be room for 2 or more rows of chairs. If two rows of chairs, then the max occupancy would be 25 people in the first row, plus 25 people in the second row = 50 people.

METHOD 3 – Assumes that, for calculation purposes, there will be an average of 2 chairs used per family/household that comes to the pool. This method would provide 6 feet between each group of two chairs.

Linear feet needed for each set of chairs is  (2.5 ft. for chair A + 1 ft. space between chairs + 2.5 ft. for chair B + 6 ft social distance DIVIDED by 2 people).

Using Method B, if a pool had 220 linear feet of deck space for chairs, the maximum occupancy would be 36 people (220/6).

B) Limit How Long Patrons Can Stay at the Pool Each Visit

Limiting how long patrons can stay at the pool increases the total number of people that can use the pool each day. The best way to execute this is to designate blocks of pool time available for people to visit the pool each day. For example, a pool could offer a series of 1.5 or 2 hour blocks of time throughout each day for pool visits. See example below.

EXAMPLE:

The Social Distancing Pool Capacity is 25 people allowed into the pool area during each block of time.  Pool patrons can use the pool during the following hours:

10:00-11:30 AM         25 people
12:00-1:30 PM           25 people
2:00-3:30 PM             25 people
4:00-5:30 PM             25 people
6:00-7:30 PM             25 people
8:00-9:00 PM             25 people

150 people can use the pool each day (25 people for each of the 6 time periods a day = 150).

Poolsopen safely

Photo Courtesy: Andy Ross

C) Build In Time for Entering/Exiting & Disinfecting

As in the example above, a 20 minute or 30 minute break between blocks of pool time allows:

  • Pool patrons to social distance while entering and exiting the pool.
  • Pool staff to disinfect surfaces and test water chemistry.
  • The number of people in the pool area to stay below the Social Distancing Capacity.

2.      DISINFECTING

The pool water is constantly being disinfected by chlorine, but there may be a need for extra disinfecting of items outside of the pool, such as:

Door handles inside and outside
Handrails and pool ladders
Restroom doors, faucets, sinks, soap and paper towel dispensers, toilet flush levers and baby changing stations
Drink dispensing equipment and water fountains
Light switches
Telephones and Emergency shut-off buttons on spas, dials for spa jets
“Touch to activate” areas on splash pads and spray fountains
Keyless entry readers and lock boxes
Pools that are not staffed may want to put the responsibility for disinfecting on pool patrons.  At pools that are staffed with Lifeguards or Pool Attendants the responsibility for disinfecting may still be with pool patrons, or staff can provide help with disinfecting. If staff is disinfecting, establish designated times to disinfect.

3.       IMPLEMENTING THE SOCIAL DISTANCE CAPACITY AND POOL USAGE SCHEDULE SO POOLS OPEN SAFELY

After estimating a new capacity to support social distancing and new hours for pool usage, decide how to put this into practice.

Several options to limit pool attendance, while maximizing the pool use, are presented below. The best option for your pool may depend on the answers to several questions:

  • What are your state and local distancing guidelines?
  • How busy is your pool?
  • How well do your pool patrons voluntarily follow policies?
  • What will keep your members safe?
  • What will bring pool patrons peace of mind?
  • What are fair guidelines?

OPTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING SOCIAL DISTANCING CAPACITY AND POOL USAGE TIMES

A.      Use Technology: An online scheduling platform that allows people to reserve time at the pool.

The Pool Management Group has been working closely with Omnify to reposition their online scheduling platform to make it more useful and intuitive for swimming pools.

The Pool Management Group has donated their time and expertise on this project (and will not financially benefit from Omnify’s fees). We’ve done this to provide summer pools with the easiest way to use technology to address several COVID-19 hurdles.

We want everyone to stay safe and have fun at the pool this summer, and we’re happy to share this excellent resource. Feel free to share the platform as well.

Features

The Omnify platform offers these features:

  1. Ability to limit the number of people at the pool. (You set how many people can sign up for ‘pool time’ in the system).
  2. Create a series of ‘blocks of pool time’ that people can reserve based on your pool hours. You define when and how long patrons can be at the pool, such as 10am-noon Mon-Fri, 12:30-2pm Mon- Fri, etc. 3:30-5pm Mon-Fri, etc. (you choose the length of time). Creating these blocks of times for each day does two critical things:
  • Maximizes the number of people who can use the pool each day (If you’ve got 6 blocks of time daily serving 25 patrons each block, that’s 25 x 6 blocks = 150 patrons/day).
  • Allows you to build in time between patron ‘pool times’ for disinfecting and time for patrons to enter and exit the property without crowding.
  1. Option to require pool patrons to agree to your Pool Policies or a Release of Liability before reserving time at the pool.
  2. Receive a private reservation webpage (hosted on Omnify) with a link to send to your members. Pool patrons signup and manage changes to their reservations without any platform administrator intervention.
  3. Ability to change capacity limits and pool time schedules (due to experience or future revised regulations).

Offline options for implementing Social Distancing Capacity and Pool Usage Hours:

B.      Volunteer compliance with the posted occupancy number.

Members come into pool area only if the maximum occupancy is not yet met. Members would not know until they get to the pool if capacity is met. Send capacity policy out in newsletters and all other forms of communication. Post signage with the maximum number allowed in the pool and social distancing guidelines of 6’. See sign possibility below.

C.      Pool Staff can limit the number of people on a first-come first-served basis. 

Gate Attendants could be used to monitor the number of people allowed to enter. Gate attendants could also disinfect surfaces.

D.      Set specific hours or days for specific groups of people.

For example, households on Streets A & B could have access to the pool on certain days and possibly even only certain hours (such as Mondays between 12:00 – 2:00). Streets C & D would have access on other days. This helps to inherently restrict pool attendance and increase a patron’s chance of the pool not being at capacity when they go.

E.       Assign time blocks based on street numbers.

This is similar to the above option: Homes with even street numbers could have access to the pool at certain times and days and homes with odd street number could have access to the pool at other designated times and days.

Please Note: It will not be possible for Pool Staff to be involved with enforcing social distancing between groups of people, as they will not know which people already live together. Additionally, Lifeguards cannot have a task in addition to watching the pool.
Pools open Safely - Lane Space - Delly Carr Collection

Lane Space – Photo Courtesy: The Delly Carr Collection

4.      POOL FURNITURE

Since pool furniture cannot be reliably disinfected between each user, consider having pool patrons bring their own chairs each time they come to the pool.

If you choose this option, the pool furniture can be stacked and locked up with a coated cable and padlock.

5.      POOL ACTIVITIES

Group games such as water volleyball, water basketball, cross pool, which involve multiple people interacting in close proximity, should be discontinued. Parents and chaperones of children, not lifeguards, will be responsible if they would like their children to social distance while in the pool.

6.      LIMITING LIABILITY

Seek your attorney’s advice regarding a liability release and a sign.

This is a sample liability release, which could be a required step when one is making a pool reservation online. This release is from the Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco:

By signing this agreement, I acknowledge the contagious nature of COVID-19 and voluntarily assume the risk that my family, including child(ren), and I may be exposed to or infected by COVID-19 while on site at the pool and that such exposure or infection may result in personal injury, illness, permanent disability, and death. I understand that the risk of becoming exposed to or infected by COVID-19 at the pool may result from the actions, omissions, or negligence of myself and others, including, but not limited to, the HOA Board and pool management company’s employees, volunteers, and program participants and their families. I voluntarily agree to assume all of the foregoing risks and accept sole responsibility for any injury to my child(ren) or myself (including, but not limited to, personal injury, disability, and death), illness, damage, loss, claim, liability, or expense, of any kind, that I, my family and my child(ren) may experience or incur in connection with my child(ren)’s attendance at the pool or participation in pool activities (“Claims”). On my behalf, and on behalf of my children, I hereby release, covenant not to sue, discharge, and hold harmless the HOA Board and the pool management company and their employees, agents, and representatives, of and from the Claims, including all liabilities, claims, actions, damages, costs or expenses of any kind arising out of or relating thereto. I understand and agree that this release includes any Claims based on the actions, omissions, or negligence of the HOA Board and the pool management company and their employees, agents, and representatives, whether a COVID-19 infection occurs before, during, or after participation in pool facility activities.

B.      You may want to consider a sign so pools open safely.

The sign should be large, printed in large letters and posted in a prominent place at the entrance to the pool.

Customize your sign based on local requirements and your policies.

COVID-19 WARNING SIGN – Pool owners may want to consider a sign. The sign should be large, printed in large letters and posted in a prominent place at the entrance to the pool. These are just possible policies – signs can be customize based on local requirements and your policies.

COVID-19 WARNING

  • The danger of exposure to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 exists.
  • By entering the pool, you take responsibility for your own protection and for disinfecting your hands and anything you touch in the pool area.
  • Do not use the pool if you have a cough, fever or other symptoms of illness.
  • Maintain at least 6 feet between you and other people who are not a part of your household.
  • Wear a face covering when you are not in the swimming pool.

MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY ____

Regular updates to the above guidance are made at a dedicated page on the Pool Management Group’s website

  • All commentaries are the opinion of the Pool Management Group and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine, the International Swimming Hall of Fame, nor its staff.
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Sylvie Letarte
4 years ago

Martine Lebrun

Martine Lebrun
4 years ago
Reply to  Sylvie Letarte

Sylvie Letarte ça ressemble pas mal a ce que j’ai lu a date ! ?

Amanda Law
4 years ago

I don’t think sunlight kills the virus as this article states.

Katie McLaughlin Goodson
Reply to  Amanda Law

Amanda Law no, it doesn’t but the sun is an excellent source of vitamin D and it energizes the T- cells which help build immunity. This, in turn, helps your body fight illnesses.

Anonymous
Anonymous
4 years ago

Absolutely the sun kills the virus. It doesn’t kill all of it immediately but virus in the sun vs virus n a dark room you have much less that survives the sun.

Ashlin
Ashlin
4 years ago

Yeah i doubt they are going to open pools bc of this pandemic but the sun is a great source of vitamin D and stuff like that but stay safe #stayhome❤️

Julie Tellier
4 years ago
Reply to  Amanda Law

Amanda Law Sunlight or, more specifically, solar UV radiation (UV) acts as the principal natural virucide in the environment. UV radiation kills viruses by chemically modifying their genetic material, DNA and RNA.

Jennifer McCann Vertetis
Reply to  Amanda Law

Katie McLaughlin Goodson

Noelle Kawaguchi
4 years ago

Kerry Johnsen some good ideas that could work for us!

Kerry Johnsen
4 years ago

Noelle Kawaguchi thank you! Ive been thinking about this a lot. I already have the blocks of pool usage scheduled in my head. Figuring out occupancy capacity will be interesting too. Lots to take into consideration. Now if only I can find disinfecting stuff for the pool.

Diana Terry Bolding
4 years ago

Open all pools!!!!!

Allison Gober
4 years ago

Diana Terry Bolding yes ?

Ashlin
Ashlin
4 years ago

Yeah open all pools!

Annon
Annon
4 years ago

And what about the lifeguards safety? If they have to ‘rescue’ anyone they can’t possibly keep a safe distance and wear pep!

Jeans
Jeans
4 years ago
Reply to  Annon

Annon –
Exactly. Their are risking their lives to save someone else’s. Can a swim team have practice during Covid-19? How can they safely practice with the social distancing, and breathing hard after races?

Amanpreet Singh
4 years ago

Natasha Bouchard – helpful information .!

Shannon Hair Scott
4 years ago

John Griffin????lets go!!!

John Griffin
John Griffin
4 years ago

Cindy and I are working on it.

Rob Richardson
4 years ago

My opinion is that a swim club practice could easily follow the guidelines for distancing in and out of the water. Please Open the pools.

Jessica Mendelsohn
4 years ago
Reply to  Rob Richardson

Rob Richardson diseases travel faster in water than air.

Pat
Pat
4 years ago

I have looked at all the CDC guidelines for home pools, and they say the chlorine will kill virus and bacteria in the water. So, with safe distancing, we should be good to swim.

Craig Lord
4 years ago
Reply to  Pat
Rob Richardson
4 years ago
Reply to  Rob Richardson

Jessica Mendelsohn it’s chlorinated water…

Jessica Mendelsohn
4 years ago
Reply to  Rob Richardson

Rob Richardson so then tell me why people still get sick and can contract E Coli from pools?

Michele Marquit Howard
Reply to  Rob Richardson

Rob Richardson
Per the CDC, “There is no evidence that the virus that causes COVID-19 can be spread to people through the water in pools, hot tubs, spas, or water play areas. Proper operation and maintenance (including disinfection with chlorine and bromine) of these facilities should inactivate the virus in the water.”

Rob Richardson
4 years ago
Reply to  Rob Richardson

Jessica Mendelsohn no one is forcing you or your kids to swim in a pool. If you are ok with the “risk” then you should be able to swim. More likely (statistically )that you will have a car accident driving to the pool

Claudia Watters Souder
Reply to  Rob Richardson

Jessica Mendelsohn what source did you get that from? Assuming the pool was properly maintained “chemically”? Referring to your E Coli remark

Alvaro Fortuny
4 years ago
Reply to  Rob Richardson

Jessica Mendelsohn ????

Pia Porkola Smideberg
4 years ago
Reply to  Rob Richardson

Rob Richardson here in Sweden most swimming halls are open and teams have been able to keep practising. Clubs have made new schedules so not too many are in the hall at the same time, parents dont follow inside w their kids etc. Its tougher for larger clubs who normalt have many groups at the same time and have to cancelled some practises. Also Warm up and physics is Done out doors. I am so Happy our kids have been able to go to school and swim practise this whole time, it is the best for their mental health to keep things as close to normal as possible. All competition is cancelled until the fall but at least they get the exercise they need…
Hope you guys soon can have the same but it is important everyone respects that We need to act differently to be able keep things as normal as possible!

Barbara Leuly
4 years ago
Reply to  Rob Richardson

Open the pools! Not the locker rooms, in the pool, practice hard, no hanging on lane lines, small groups, get out right into cars!

Barbara Leuly
4 years ago
Reply to  Rob Richardson

Rob Richardson yes!!!

Tom Degnan
4 years ago

Sue Welker – FYI. No mention of how to share lanes or team training with multiple swimmers per lane.

Jennifer Rinesmith
4 years ago
Reply to  Tom Degnan

Tom Degnan our club team has mentioned possibly splitting leveled groups into 2 and each group has assigned days. 16 swimmers in a group. 8 per lane at each end of our 50m pool. We shall see.

Todd Meyer
4 years ago
Reply to  Tom Degnan

Tom Degnan any practice better then none.. willing to take turns… get workouts from coaches..

Jane Nichols
Jane Nichols
4 years ago
Reply to  Tom Degnan

Possibly take every other lane line out and swim the circle using a 2 lane width.
Position 1/2 of the group starting at the far end and the other 1/2 at the near end (for starting and ending repeats).

Kathi
Kathi
4 years ago
Reply to  Tom Degnan

Our teams are allowing 2 swimmers per lane, seating at opposite ends of the pool. Shorter practices in order to spread training groups out. No parents on pool declass, locker rooms limited to bathroom usage only. It’s working well for masters and youth teams

David Schutzenhofer
David Schutzenhofer
4 years ago
Reply to  Kathi

Do you see them competing? How would a swim meet look?

Colm Joyce
4 years ago

Is Covid-19 water-borne?

Anonymous
Anonymous
4 years ago
Reply to  Colm Joyce

Not when chlorine’s involved

Diana McGinnis Boeding

Stephanie Shuger Willey

Norma Milio
4 years ago

Small teams dont have the money to pay for more hours of pool time

Antony Edwards
4 years ago

Jacquie James. This is a good read , with a list of things to think about.

Nancy Petrick
4 years ago

Riley Petrick

Amy Marie
4 years ago

Joe Acquaviva plymar doing something like this?

Gina Marcelli-Munk
4 years ago

It’s been over 100 degree in AZ and it will continue to climb those pools need to open ASAP

Jessica Middleton Newman

We will never train in ny with all these restrictions

Kristen Casey
4 years ago

Bri Brianne Ryan Bianco

Joey Marquart
4 years ago

My pool in Utah opens Friday. We are not allowed to share lanes or use the showers.

Svetlana Barker
4 years ago
Reply to  Joey Marquart

Joey Marquart could please share more information about the pool policy at yurt facility. I am AQ Director in NJ state and we are working on reopening swimming pools plan at my faculty.
It would be helpful if you could share the name of your faculty and the best contact personal to reach out about opening .
Thank you
Svetlana

Joey Marquart
4 years ago
Reply to  Joey Marquart

Svetlana Barker sure I will message you

Stephanie McConnell Hughes
Reply to  Joey Marquart

Joey Marquart would you mind sharing details? I’m trying to figure out how to make swim team work if/when our pool opens. Thanks!

Chad Washam
4 years ago

Danny Weber May be some helpful information here.

Danny Weber
4 years ago
Reply to  Chad Washam

Chad Washam I’ll take a look, I’m on calls about this stuff a lot with the full time job. We have a good plan that meets all guidelines when we can open, Ill share Monday.

Shawn Cowper Daniels
4 years ago

Cindy Weber

Tim Ritchie
4 years ago

I am sorry, but why on earth do I want to work in this type of environment. Lets just wait 8 more months for a vaccine.

Kerri Sullivan
4 years ago

Millie McCabe maybe this could be helpful for summer swim

Ernest Perez
4 years ago

Laura Eff

Paul Anthony
4 years ago

Answer: turn on the lights and pour in the chlorine as usual. Enough media driven hysteria

Todd Meyer
4 years ago

Open the pools! Common sense.. no sunbathing, sharing lanes, using locker rooms. Lap swimmers only..

Fran Sosnoski
Fran Sosnoski
4 years ago
Reply to  Todd Meyer

Please remember that not all pools are outdoors, that no one is talking about staff safety, and that at least in Canada we have not hit our peak, so opening a facility at this time is not using common sense. Sometimes it is not about what the individual but more about the community including our seniors. Also remember that all guarding staff are going home to their families who are also in contact with others. I agree, let’s wait until workers and patrons can be safe.

Blair Barker
4 years ago

Phillip Kong

Shae Wallan
4 years ago

Carly Saunders

Kimberly Joy
4 years ago

None of this is acceptable. Korean kills the virus. The virus has the same recovery rate as the flu. There is no reason for any restrictions.

Craig Lord
4 years ago
Reply to  Kimberly Joy

There are many reasons to suggest you have erred in your thought on this. There are references far and wide to show you why if you care to look. Here’s one of them: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/comparing-covid-19-deaths-to-flu-deaths-is-like-comparing-apples-to-oranges/

Susan Serigny
Susan Serigny
4 years ago
Reply to  Kimberly Joy

Chlorine, not Korean

Tara Mayer
4 years ago

Jennifer Biallas Price
Alexandra Cramer

Diana Terry Bolding
4 years ago

Ways to open – take the cover off and let’s go !!!!!

Ildiko Morris
4 years ago

Diana Terry Bolding exactly!!!!!!

Allison Gober
4 years ago
Lexie Joy
4 years ago

Christy Evans Rebecca Ensor

Ethan Schoch
4 years ago

Everyone knows chlorine kills everything

余梓鍵
4 years ago
Reply to  Ethan Schoch

Drink chlorine instead you idiot!????? The virus is INSIDE the body. Simple common sense. Are you serious STUPID? You don’t drink chlorine!!

Anonymous
Anonymous
4 years ago
Reply to  余梓鍵

I believe they meant, pour the chlorine in the water. I don’t believe they were suggesting to ingest it.

Bill Stephan
4 years ago

Let’s run numbers for a swim team to practice in 6 or 8 lane pools…50 to 250 athletes…

Michelyn Rudser Baker
4 years ago
Reply to  Bill Stephan

Bill Stephan wow. This sounds like a cluster f***. Pools in the Midwest are money pits as it is, this would probably kill them off.
How do you run a practice with a pool full of kids breathing heavily during the sets?? How many of them do you see hacking a goober into the gutter or doing a ‘farmer flick ‘from their nose (hopefully in the gutter as well), It’s not like we haven’t been catching crap in pools all along. Pee, diapers, rashes, eye/ear infections, etc. Gross thought I know, but I guess our ignorance was bliss.

Bob McAdams
4 years ago
Reply to  Bill Stephan

The plan for 250 athletes is pretty straightforward:
1) Accept the fact that from now on, your pool is going to be open 24 hours per day.
2) Your team will be divided into 10 groups of 25 swimmers. Each group will get the pool for 1.5 hours, separated by 30 minute periods to disinfect the pool area.
3) Since these groups will have to be spread over 20 hours of the day, this means that once area schools open, those schools will need to accept the fact the some swimmers will need to miss 2 hours out of the school day (plus any additional time needed to travel to and from the pool). Perhaps the schedule can be different for different days of the week so that each swimmer actually gets to attend school for the entire day on most days of the week. Of course, families will need to modify their eating and sleeping schedules so that their swimmers can be free at their allotted times.
4) The remaining 4 hours of the day will be reserved for the 50 swimmers (of all ages) who aren’t on the swim team but will be allowed to use the pool. If those swimmers have historically had other activities (like jobs) that restrict the hours when they are available, those other activities will have to adjust their hours to allow the swimmers to be free during the 1.5 hour period that is assigned to them. If they will agree to only use the pool every other day, then it should be possible to expand this group to 100 swimmers.

Keep in mind that these 350 swimmers will need to be fairly rich, since they will have to collectively cover all of the expenses needed to keep the pool in operation.

Peter Scott
4 years ago
Reply to  Bill Stephan

Bob McAdams rich to be able to afford the likely medical expenses and personal heartache of infected and dying family members…..but thats ok as long as they can get a nice swim in…..?stay safe?

Pam Smith
4 years ago
Reply to  Bill Stephan

Bill Stephan and also this virus has fecal shedding- just throwing this disgusting factor in as learn to swim and programs with guppies/young age groupers. Things happen.

Pamela Goldsbro
4 years ago
Reply to  Bill Stephan

Michelyn Rudser Baker … Thank god for people like you that have a brain.?

Rainer A Parada
4 years ago
Reply to  Bill Stephan

Bob McAdams ok not real

Allison Gober
4 years ago

I’ve got a suggestion…stop trying to regulate everything! Open the pools and let people decide for themselves whether they want to get in or not?!?!

余梓鍵
4 years ago
Reply to  Allison Gober

Tell me how this coronavirus spreads. How many deaths and positive cases so far?

Terri Hixenbaugh
4 years ago
Reply to  Allison Gober

Allison Gober absolutely!!!

Alvaro Fortuny
4 years ago
Reply to  Allison Gober

Allison Gober great idea!! People are making such a fuzz about it.

Spencer Pinter
4 years ago
Reply to  Allison Gober

You, my dear, have way too much common sense! Like you have been infected with the common sense virus, or something. ???

Allison Gober
4 years ago
Reply to  Allison Gober

Spencer Pinter just waiting on them to release that mandatory common sense vaccine! ??‍♀️

Spencer Pinter
4 years ago
Reply to  Allison Gober
Spencer Pinter
4 years ago
Reply to  Allison Gober

Allison Gober – Right?!! Who knows how long that will take. For now, however, how about people try to ☝?

Micheal Jason Babich
4 years ago
Reply to  Allison Gober

Allison Gober disagree

Kimberly Joy
4 years ago
Reply to  Allison Gober

Allison Gober seriously. So OVER the hype.

Our county has shut down all public pools for the summer and in apartment and condo complexes there is a one person per pool rule regardless of how big it is. It is absurd

Rainer A Parada
4 years ago
Reply to  Allison Gober

Allison Gober I’m a swimmer but it’s better to keep them closed . Trust me. It’s impossible to control a swimming pool . People are so stupid they will infect them selfs and everyone at home .

Valerie Stewart
4 years ago

This is a flu, kids have been swimming with flus for years…please open the pools and resume to normalcy:)

Tanya McDowell Thome
4 years ago

Valerie Stewart 60,000 people do not die of the flu in 2 months.

Dirk G. Winkler
4 years ago

Tanya McDowell Thome no but 80000 in 3 months

Valerie Stewart
4 years ago

Tanya McDowell Thome interesting that every other cause of death is down? Research mainstream news that doctors are being coerced to fill out death certificates as cov 19 when they are not. A family member just passed away last week, from congenital heart failure, after receiving a negative Covid 19 test in the hospital. The COD was listed as Covid 19!!!!

chris madden
chris madden
4 years ago

i am an ICU nurse, there are a good amount of false negatives. These patients all present similarly. People are afraid to come into the hospital for other ailments, for fear that they will get covid.

Doug Schack
4 years ago

Tanya McDowell Thome 62,000 died in the 2017-18 flu season. Now you can say that a flu season is 5-6 months long but everyone knows January and February are the hot bed months – right after everyone gets together for the holidays ?

余梓鍵
4 years ago

It’s not flu! Wow. You are all stating numbers and figures but have you any idea how much pain and grief these people are feeling? We don’t have a vaccine yet!! Any here an anti vaxxer?? Many are asymptomatic and you don’t know if you have it. From Reuters and Bloomberg. It is deadlier than the flu.

Tony Trefoil
4 years ago

余梓鍵 they are clueless

Peter Scott
4 years ago

Tony Trefoil sadly yes, clueless and selfish. What they suffer from is not catching but it is certainly very dangerous for everyone?stay safe?

Kelly McKibben Lindaman

Valerie Stewart
This is way worse than the flu

Claire Kennedy
4 years ago

Valerie Stewart this is not just flu’, it’s far worse and deadly for many people of all ages but particularly those who are older although young people are not immune. I’m sorry but I don’t understand why you think it’s just flu’? Have you not been listening or reading up about it?

Valerie Stewart
4 years ago

Claire Kennedy
CDC… not human transmission … not a problem

CDC… human transmission
CDC…. masks don’t work.
CDC… masks do work but are only for care providers.
CDC… masks are required outside.
CDC… 3foot transmission
CDC… 6 foot transmission
CDC … 36 foot transmission
CDC… didn’t get in food.
CDC .., does get on food.
CDC…. big problem with daily changes.
If you have been following as I have… you will see drs saying this is BS.
You will hear drs saying that Zithromax and clorquizine Work and works well.
You will hear drs saying they are being coerced to lie on death certificates.
You will notice that Fauci works for Gates foundation.
You will read that Fauci gave 3.7 million to Wuhan lab in question.
You will find that CDC is also a business that profits from vaccines.
You will find head of WHO worked for communist China, is NOT a dr at all and in fact was head of a known terrorist organization.
The CDC Has screwed up since day one and has questionable connections with Gates foundation.

I did not say this was JUST A FLU.
I said it was A FLU.

The origin is from
A corona virus.

Cigarettes kill million a year. Alcohol kills three million.
The flu kills 64,000 a year.
Do we shut the economy for any of those?

You are projecting on me without an understanding of science.

Read the facts before responding.

Anonymous
Anonymous
4 years ago

Sooooo treu…
not to mention tuberculosis—-it kills globally and is becoming drug resistant
There’s no vaccine for HIV or Herpes virus and they are rampant…
Car accidents and ALCOHOL kill more people than viruses

We could have done this much differently….if you were afraid or at risk, stay home….otherwise, let life go on. After this it will be another disease….you can’t stop it…viruses and bacteria find ways around human interventions…

Anonymous
Anonymous
4 years ago

You don’t get cancer by just standing next to a smoker, you get liver damage by just standing next to an alcoholic, you can get the virus by just standing next to person with a virus. Horrible comparisons.

Craig Lord
4 years ago

Valerie, a great deal of all that is pure conjecture and rumour with no basis in fact – and you compound your errors with extremely poor comparisons. Beyond the error of a million smokers dying (fact: “Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United States”), smoking is a choice (one that kills about 40,000 passive smokers among those 480,000). COVID-19 is not a choice. It’s a virus too little is know about to make standard behaviour and approaches acceptable as a response. If that were not the case, the world would have stayed open. It didn’t – there was good reason for that.

Kimberly Joy
4 years ago

Kelly McKibben Lindaman Not by a long shot. The mortality rate has already been established to be akin to the flu. The flu also kills people of all ages it does not discriminate. The average age for this virus is 80 years old, which exceeds the average life expectancy for human beings by 5 years. More people over a 100 years old have died from this disease than people under 30.Over half of all the deaths have been in communal type living environments like nursing homes or other assisted living facilities.

The flu is much worse compared to this over hyped virus.

Kelly McKibben Lindaman

Kimberly Joy
You need to educate yourself

Kelly McKibben Lindaman

Kimberly Joy
I don’t think thousands of doctors and scientists are wrong but hey I’m sure you know everything

Craig Lord
4 years ago

Valerie – its not a flu – read the literature. It’s clearly not a flu.

Ronna Frndz
4 years ago

BTW, it chlorine at least 15 minutes to kill viruses and such. The pool does not have the virus. People do. Yes children are less like to get it but they can be carriers in a variety of ways. Also, not all swimmers are healthy children. I don’t my kid to bring that home to me and get me sick. Yes, I have a competitive swimmer. I have a kid who coaches. I have a First responder husband. And I have an “essential worker” kid. I would like to stay safe as long as possible.
It’s a good thing my kid got a full scholarship for his academics and then some. D1 Swimming will be an extra. I feel sorry for those dependent on swimming to get into college and money. We invested in school. That will get him further in life than the sport itself.

Kate Dunne
4 years ago
Reply to  Ronna Frndz

Ronna Frndz Then stay home and keep your kid home! The rest of us are going back.

Julie Tellier
4 years ago
Reply to  Ronna Frndz

Ronna Frndz then you wouldn’t send your child, that’s fine, that’s your choice. That’s not everyone’s choice. Some people want to live their lives and that is ok to.

余梓鍵
4 years ago
Reply to  Ronna Frndz

The virus is inside the body not outside! Or are you willing to drink bleach and chlorine? Don’t be stupid

Tony Trefoil
4 years ago
Reply to  Ronna Frndz

Ronna Frndz thank you for talking with sense. These people are selfish…

Julie Tellier
4 years ago
Reply to  Ronna Frndz

Tony Trefoil people are selfish simply because they have other beliefs, values, opinions and knowledge than you?

Peter Scott
4 years ago
Reply to  Ronna Frndz

Julie Tellier they are selfish because they don’t care about anyone but themselves and only care about what they want to do.?stay safe?

Tony Trefoil
4 years ago
Reply to  Ronna Frndz

Peter Scott took the words right out of my keyboard

Julie Tellier
4 years ago
Reply to  Ronna Frndz

Peter Scott and Tony Trefoil wants people to do only what he wants them to do and care about what he wants them to care about.

Pam Smith
4 years ago
Reply to  Ronna Frndz

Kate Dunne fecal shed of this virus ? no one ever farts or might lose a turd in the pool? You have learn to swim or young age groupers? Disability swimmers who may occasionally
Have incontinence issues?

Flynn Burroughs
4 years ago
Flynn Burroughs
4 years ago
Elizabeth Hazel
4 years ago

Flynn Burroughs we had a vaccine.

Flynn Burroughs
4 years ago

Hi Elizabeth, that not accurate. The first H1N1 death was reported in April of 2009. The vaccine was not ready or administered until October of that year…6 months later.

http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1894625,00.html

Flynn Burroughs
4 years ago

Elizabeth, this is a very helpful timeline on the h1n1 topic.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/2009-pandemic-timeline.html

Lynette Besonday-Washburn

I’m in AZ. The temp is going to be 105 today. We have lots of sun. No pools are opened and won’t be for another 2 weeks or more. Totally ridiculous.

Jennifer Brurok
4 years ago

Lynette Besonday-Washburn so stupid!

余梓鍵
4 years ago

I take social distancing is applicable for young people at all times? Seeing that it’s hot… won’t socialising be a problem? Deaths and cases in the US are the highest. Worst than flu! 60000 deaths so far and increasing. The sooner we reduce transmission we sooner we can return to normal

Peter Scott
4 years ago

余梓鍵 not surprising that most of the people posting on here are from USA. However, I certainly hope they are the vocal minority…..?a mega disaster for the rest of the people with common sense not to mention an economic collapse that will likely take between 4 to 10 years to fix….?stay safe?

Spencer Pinter
4 years ago

Peter Scott – Love your opinion/assumption about the “vocal minority”. You know what they say about opinions…

Kimberly Joy
4 years ago

Lynette Besonday-Washburn And in California are nazi governor just shut down our beaches because people dared to go out and enjoy the water in a 100゚ heat over the weekend.

Kimberly Joy
4 years ago

Peter Scott – worry about your crappy country. We in the U.S. have a constitution, something you could never understand.

P.s. you would be speaking German if it werent for America. So STFU.

Caro Caballero
4 years ago

Good suggestions but I don’t think the problem is at the pool itself, problem is common areas before and after getting into pool. When I was a kid every 15 days a doctor or nurse at the pool would need to conducta. Physical revision and sign a certificate, I could see this as a way to ensure folks getting in are not sick. Also in the northeast we need to consider indoor pools, 9 of 12 months of year indoor pools are needed

Cara Jones
4 years ago

How about this; swimmers jump in the pool and swim and the coaches coach them.

余梓鍵
4 years ago
Reply to  Cara Jones

And how close will the swimmers be after they have done a set? After practising kicks? Will they respond to a 2m distance? Will they obey social distancing?

Cara Jones
4 years ago
Reply to  Cara Jones

They don’t need to. It’s no longer necessary. Read the medical and science data.

Allison Gober
4 years ago
Reply to  Cara Jones
Allison Gober
4 years ago
Reply to  Cara Jones

Cara Jones thankful for a coach that is writing up practices for my daughter when we can get access to a pool! She’s out of town this week swimming her little heart out, and I’m so happy for her! ?

Rainer A Parada
4 years ago
Reply to  Cara Jones

余梓鍵 they won’t obey.

Rainer A Parada
4 years ago
Reply to  Cara Jones

Allison Gober you don’t get it .

Lori Carena
4 years ago

In NYC with those limitations on occupancy, I will never swim again. The problem is the locker room and protecting staff, students who staff the pools.

Pam Smith
4 years ago

#fecalviralshed

Jim Fraser
Jim Fraser
4 years ago

Newsweek, Yahoo News and others have reported that the Homeland Security Department’s Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center laboratory experiments show that sunlight destroys coronavirus quickly.

Jean-Marc Soulas
4 years ago

If only chlorine could rid us of swimmers’ parents!

Jen Colleen
4 years ago

Carlo Cordon. Did you see this? ?

Josh Smith
4 years ago

Rebecca Trompke Hansen

Rebecca Trompke Hansen
Reply to  Josh Smith

Josh Smith I’m on it. ?

Josh Smith
4 years ago
Reply to  Josh Smith

Rebecca Trompke Hansen I know you are. And these are all things I know you’re thinking about. We appreciate your efforts!

Pamela Goldsbro
4 years ago

It’s not about the actual pool, it’s about the surrounding infrastructure. The tap in the bathroom , handle to the toilet door, the lid to the gear cage, the turnstiles to get it. The water is the easy part . I’m all for pools beings opened for Elite athletes at this point(qualifying times for Olympic trials) but everyone needs to have a better plan in place than ”let’s see how it goes “.

Spencer Pinter
4 years ago

The following from a gentleman in Sweden: Here in Sweden most swimming halls are open and teams have been able to keep practising. Clubs have made new schedules so not too many are in the hall at the same time, parents dont follow inside w their kids etc. Its tougher for larger clubs who normalt have many groups at the same time and have to cancelled some practises. Also Warm up and physics is Done out doors. I am so Happy our kids have been able to go to school and swim practise this whole time, it is the best for their mental health to keep things as close to normal as possible. All competition is cancelled until the fall but at least they get the exercise they need…
Hope you guys soon can have the same but it is important everyone respects that We need to act differently to be able keep things as normal as possible!

Pamela Goldsbro
4 years ago
Reply to  Spencer Pinter

Spencer Pinter … you are all way more obedient than those in the USA. Little Johnny doesn’t like to train at 4.45pm for 2 hours that upsets his dinner schedule ?

Allison Gober
4 years ago
Reply to  Spencer Pinter

Pamela Goldsbro not this American family! We will take whatever damn practice slot we can get right now…we can eat dinner in the car!

Wendy Reynolds
4 years ago

I’d like a scientific citation for the comment “sunlight kills the virus”. That comment alone makes the rest of the article suspect.

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