Community pools, playgrounds in Pinellas County reopen with social distancing required
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Pools in Pinellas County can officially reopen to the public Thursday, April 30. On Tuesday, county commissioners voted unanimously to lift restrictions that originally closed community pools at condo associations and hotels. The same goes for playgrounds at child care facilities.
Pools and playgrounds have been closed since March 26. With the reopening, leaders say people will still need to follow CDC guidelines for social distancing, meaning no groups larger than 10 can gather and people must remain six feet apart. They also voted in favor for beaches to reopen by Monday.
On Wednesday, Governor Ron Desantis announced he will begin lifting parts of his stay-at-home order. Beginning Monday, May 4, phase one of his reopening Florida plan will begin.
READ: What is allowed to open under phase one of the governor's plan to reopen Florida?
During Tuesday's meeting, commissioners expressed concern over shuttered businesses and residents who remain unemployed. With the governor's new directive officially made public, they can discuss the next steps for local businesses when they meeting again Friday morning.
St. Petersburg Mayor, Rick Kriseman tweeted shortly after DeSantis wrapped up his Wednesday evening press conference saying local leaders need to read the document to understand the preemption issues and other relevant nuances.
According to DeSantis' latest directive for reopening Florida, local governments will be allowed to have more restrictive policies than the state.
If you feel sick:
The Florida Department of Health has opened a COVID-19 Call Center at 1-866-779-6121. Agents will answer questions around the clock. Questions may also be emailed to covid-19@flhealth.gov. Email responses will be sent during call center hours.
LINK: Florida's COVID-19 website
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