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Keeping public safe may mean closure, use restrictions or removal of amenities if public doesn’t comply
As Governor Walz’s stay at home order is extended and the need for social distancing continues, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is urging park users to comply with social distancing in Minneapolis parks.
“From the beginning, we have been following the guidelines of state and city public health officials,” explained Superintendent Al Bangoura. “Despite our efforts, we continue to see park users not following social distancing guidelines. Locally and across the country, urban and suburban park agencies have had to close playgrounds, trails, athletic courts and athletic fields to the public, and we would really like to avoid having to do so.”
In addition to extensive news and social media messages about the need for social distancing, the MPRB has taken its own efforts to encourage park visitors to stay six feet apart. Within the past two weeks, the MRPB has opened five parkways to pedestrians and deployed approximately 1,500 multilanguage signs at parks, trails, playgrounds, courts and fields encouraging park users to protect themselves and protect others through social distancing.
The MPRB continues to spread the word through news media and its own web, email lists, and social media channels. On Saturday, April 11, the MPRB is launching an ambassador program to provide information and encouragement on social distancing practices in neighborhood and regional parks. Visit minneapolisparks.org/coronavirus or sign up to receive email updates at minneapolisparks.org/subscribe by selecting “COVID-19” in the “News Updates” section.
“This is a public health crisis and we all need to do our part to keep our communities safe and healthy,” explained Bangoura. “We recently received guidelines from the Minneapolis Health Department, and we feel they provide clear direction on how to the public can social distance while taking part in a variety of park activities. We ask the public to take them seriously.”
MPRB Vice President LaTrisha Vetaw, who works in public health policy and advocacy, voiced her concern that as an African American she is alarmed by the fact that black people are dying disproportionately across the country from COVID-19. She is urging community members to protect themselves and others in their household.
“Parks are such an important community asset—especially to those without a lot of resources. I completely understand the desire to meet your friends at the park for a game of basketball or soccer. However, doing so puts you and your family at risk. I am concerned by the number of young people I see congregating at parks in my neighborhood on the Northside. Black and brown communities are at a higher risk of severe complications from COVID. Many of us live in multi-generational households. The young people I see at the park might not get sick themselves, but they might bring the virus home with them and infect their aunties and grandmas. So, please, follow social distancing guidelines. Use the parks but use them responsibly to protect your loved ones,” explained Vetaw.
The Minneapolis Health Department recommendations include promoting specific guidelines distinguishing between allowable and unallowable activities. The recommendations also include discouraging or prohibiting games that intrinsically result in close contact between participants.
As a result, the MPRB has new signs going up this week urging tennis players, playground users, and basketball players to “do their part” to keep nets on, playgrounds open and rims on. Signage includes guidelines for what is allowed and not allowed.
- At playgrounds, only one household using the playground structure at a time, with time limited to give others a turn is allowed; more than one household of children using the playground equipment at the same time is not allowed.
- At tennis courts, only one person on each side of net is allowed; playing doubles or hitting with more than one person on each side of the net is not allowed.
- At basketball courts, shooting hoops alone or with members of the same household is allowed; playing basketball games or shooting hoops with other people not in the same household is not allowed.
Signs warn that non-compliance will result in tennis net removal, playground closures and basketball rim removal. For the MPRB, non-compliance will result in closures, additional use restrictions and/or removals throughout the park system, possibly as soon as Friday, April 17, or anytime in the coming weeks if social distancing is not being followed.
“We are not alone. This pandemic is impacting park services across the nation, and the statistics are staggering,” explained Bangoura. “We need to continue educating our park visitors about the risks to themselves, their loved ones and the community.”
The National Recreation and Park Association recently began a nationwide survey of urban, suburban, county and rural park systems across the country. According to NRPA’s April 1-3 “Park Snapshot” survey results, 91 percent of agencies responding are keeping their trails open, but more than 25 percent have closed neighborhood or regional destination parks. Two in five agencies are discouraging congregating by removing recreation amenities like basketball hoops and tennis nets. Closures of fields and courts are at 56 percent, beaches at 71 percent, restrooms at 79 percent and playgrounds at 91 percent.
The Minneapolis Health Departments recommendations are not limited to tennis, playgrounds, trails and basketball. The MPRB’s new park ambassador program will focus on encouraging social distancing for activities that don’t allow for removal of recreation amenities. MPRB athletic fields are not being striped and ballfield bases and soccer nets are not being installed.
Park ambassadors will soon be providing information and encouragement on social distancing practices to park visitors using athletic fields, courts, trails, hammocks, and as the weather warms, picnic areas too. When the Governor’s stay at home order ends May 4 and golf courses can open, golfers will be encouraged to walk or stand at least six feet apart and once golf carts are available, only one golfer will be allowed per cart.
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