Peninsula 360 Press. Bay City News.
After seven months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, San Francisco city officials announced Wednesday that the city's more than 180 outdoor playgrounds have reopened.
Families and children are allowed to return to the parks, but with new capacity limits, Recreation and Parks Department supervisors will be watching at the city's busiest parks to orient families to the new rules.
"We know that children and parents have been away from the playgrounds since late March, and I am thrilled that we are now in a position to be able to safely reopen them," Mayor London Breed said in a statement.
He added: "It is important that children have a place to explore, have fun and exercise outdoors. We hope this will bring families and children some of the joy that would otherwise be a challenge.
As part of the parks' new rules, visitors are asked to limit play time to 30 minutes when others are present. In addition, all children must remain 6 feet ??2 meters? away.
To save space, only one adult is allowed to accompany each child on the playground, and adults are asked to supervise children at all times and to avoid non-essential use of cell phones while on the playground.
Children under 2 years of age must remain in the arms of their caregiver and are prohibited from playing in structures that house more than one child at a time. In addition, all children over 2 years of age must wear a mask. Visitors are prohibited from eating or drinking on the playgrounds.
In addition, hand-washing stations have been placed at 51 city parks that do not yet have restrooms. Recreation and parks officials are also asking supervisors to remove children who are crying on playgrounds, as loud crying can produce aerosol that can spread COVID-19.
In addition to the reopening of the playgrounds, the city also announced that six have recently been renovated under the Let'sPlaySF! initiative, a partnership between the Department of Recreation and Parks and the San Francisco Parks Alliance.
"These renovations could not have come at a better time for San Francisco families. Every child deserves to play in a safe, clean and fun environment, and these renovated playgrounds will serve our youth for years to come," said Breed.
Recently renovated playgrounds include the Merced Heights playground at 801 Shields St.; the Alice Chalmers playground at 670 Brunswick St.; the John Macaulay playground at the corner of Larkin and O'Farrell streets; the West Portal playground at 131 Lenox Way; the Redwood Grove playground in John McLaren Park at 100 John F. Shelley Drive; and the Sunset Reservoir playground at 1900 28th Ave.
According to recreation and parks officials, the parks that were chosen for renovations were selected by a community task force that used criteria such as neighborhood income and density, as well as the presence of harmful chemicals in playground materials.
[With information from BCN]
