City Pools Remain Closed During COVID-19 Spike
July 4, 2020 - San Antonio
No Relief From the Heat. Crowds will no longer be able to enjoy relief from the Texas heat this summer, as pools and splash pads will remain closed indefinitely. Photo: Brigid Cooley
By Brigid Cooley - Staff Intern, San Antonio Sentinel
Last summer, the sounds of splashing water and laughter could be heard at the San Pedro Springs swimming pool as people cooled off from the Texas heat. This year, because of the recent uptick in coronavirus cases, city pools and splash pads will remain closed for most of the summer.
On May 28, San Antonio city manager Erick Walsh shared a detailed plan on the phased reopening of city services in a press release. Phase Three of the city’s reopening would allow for 11 public pools and five splash pads, including San Pedro Springs and Woodlawn Lake, to open July 3.
The city-wide closures of pools and splash pads was announced on June 26, There is no reopening date. Photo: Brigid Cooley
Walsh announced June 26 that city pools and splash pads would not reopen as a direct result of the sudden rise in Covid-19 cases. Currently, there is no scheduled reopening date. Walsh’s announcement does not apply to pools owned by a homeowner’s association.
Before the postponement, some privately owned businesses voluntarily chose to keep their water facilities closed. The Historic Pearl, a local shopping center and tourist attraction, announced the closure of their splash pad March 13 with no planned reopening date advertised.
“The splash pad at #HistoricPearl remains closed, but we hope to splash again soon,” the company said in a social media post on June 17.
Bexar County reported 1,268 new coronavirus cases on June 30. There are a total of 12,878 confirmed cases, 7,873 of those being active as of July 3.
Brigid Cooley is the editor-in-chief of The Mesquite, a student publication of Texas A&M - San Antonio. E-mail her at reporter@sasentinel.com.