COVID-19 has not closed the recreational areas
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People were seen taking at stroll recently at Kissimmee Lakefront Park.
Every time you look around, it seems if like some other venue or attraction is being closed down because of the coronavirus.
But for anyone who is starting to feel stir crazy, there is till one option – your local park.
Parks such as Kissimmee Lakefront Park and St. Cloud Lakefront Park were still open to the public at press time Wednesday. And city officials said there were no plans or government orders to shut them down anytime soon.
“As of today, all city-owned parks are open,” said Kissimmee city spokeswoman Melissa Zayas-Moreno. “We are working closely with local public health officials to evaluate any changes that may arise in the near future.”
On Friday, people could be seen fishing, playing soccer and skateboarding or just taking a stroll at Kissimmee Lakefront Park.
However, the park Splash Pad is currently closed. The system has been deactivated, and the area is barricaded. As for the pavilions, the city’s Parks and Recreation department has taken precautions to reduce large gatherings, Zayas-Moreno said. As part of that process, the city has decreased 50 percent of the seating capacity and placed tables 6-feet apart to provide social distancing. The city is currently not renting any pavilions until further notice.
All rentable picnic pavilions/event spaces are closed, and the city is not taking any future reservations at this time.
City and private events have been cancelled, and client notifications/refunds are in process, Zayas-Moreno said.
All Osceola County Parks remain open except for sports-related fields at Oren Brown, Archie Gordon, BVL Parks, and Parkway and Neptune Middle Schools, said county spokesman Mark Pino.
“Some additional county parks may be closed in the future if conditions should change,” Pino added. “It is being monitored on a daily basis.”
Any county parks that are closed will be monitored by county staff.
“Those violating the closure will be asked to leave,” Pino said.
When appropriate, closed county parks will be re-opened as soon as possible, following a thorough cleaning and preparation.
“Playgrounds as well as restrooms, picnic tables, doors, gates, benches, and water fountains at all open parks are being disinfected while they remain available for use by the public,” Pino noted.
In isolated incidents restrooms may be closed because of issues not related to the Coronavirus, he said.
Currently, Kissimmee’s Parks & Recreation staff is disinfecting high access areas, such as playgrounds, restrooms, and any other surfaces the public would frequently touch, Zayas-Moreno noted.
“And that is being done twice a day,” she said.
All recreation centers including the Kissimmee Civic Center, and Berlinsky Community House are closed to the public.
The city of St. Cloud released the statement: “City parks are open to the public. We ask residents to follow CDC (Centers for Disease Control) guidelines for precautionary measurements (i.e. - social distancing, hand washing, etc.) when utilizing our facilities.”
