Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey gave the green light for pools, gyms and spas to open on Wednesday, May 13, less than 24 hours after he announced it on the afternoon of May 12. It caught many off guard.
“The governor surprised the aquatics community yesterday in announcing that pools can reopen starting today,” Sedona Parks and Recreation Manager Steve Richardson said Wednesday. “We were expecting this to come in mid-June and originally set a tentative pool opening date of June 22. We are in the process of further game planning in terms of reopening now that we have this information as that date may or may not change.”
The city had been working to rehire returning lifeguards up to this point, and looking for new ones. Richardson said hiring and training new lifeguards has not been an easy task during the stay-at-home orders as a result of COVID-19. Now that Ducey is allowing pools to reopen, the city will increase its hiring and training.
“Once reopened, we will be limiting patrons with a lower maximum capacity and are looking to implement online check-in with specific time slots,” Richardson said.
In addition, pool staff will be taking measures on the deck as well as in the water to encourage social distancing and will limit some amenities such as locker rooms and deck chairs. Staff will be regularly sanitizing and have ordered pool-specific sanitation tools to help with efficiency.
“Getting the pool reopened safely is a top priority for the Parks and Recreation Department, however it is imperative that we do so in a safe and calculated manner,” Richardson said. “We have been staying connected with various entities as well as other communities across the state and will follow [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines.
“We have challenges ahead so we appreciate the community’s patience. That said, we are well aware that this community loves swimming and we are eager to get this facility up and running.”
Vice Mayor John Martinez brought up the pool during the Sedona City Council meeting Tuesday, May 12. City Manager Justin Clifton said some public facilities are beginning to reopen such as the tennis, basketball and pickleball courts but for now, the pool will remain closed.
“Pools are an interesting one because we had planned on a late June start, but as of 3 p.m. today the governor said that pools can open — tomorrow,” he said. “I just started looking at the guidelines to see how we can adhere to them so there’s some potential that that schedule could escalate.”
Clifton said opening the pool is something the city wants to do because social distancing is possible and according to the CDC, there is no indication that COVID-19 transmission from one to another can occur within chlorinated pool water.
“Rest assured, we want to open those kind of facilities as quickly as possible, as long as it’s safe,” Clifton said.
