Playgrounds Open in Some Municipalities

Thursday, 16 July 2020 17:06

We officially enter Stage 3 on Friday which means municipalities can open playgrounds if they choose to do so, which is exactly what they are doing in Brant County and the City of Woodstock.

BRANT COUNTY - Most regions in the Province of Ontario enter into Stage 3 today.

With this in mind, the County of Brant is going to re-open their playgrounds today. Director of Parks and facilities Kathy Ballantyne says minor park modifications are in place and new safety guidelines have been prepared to welcome residents back to playgrounds safely.

“As always, the County of Brant’s number one priority is the health and safety of those in our community. We look forward to seeing children and families enjoy our wonderful playgrounds as we continue to reopen in a safe and cautious manner.”

The recommended capacity of each playground structure will be posted to help parents and caregivers assess if the playground has capacity or is too busy when they are visiting. If a particular park is crowded, staff are suggesting that you visit another park, use other park amenities and/or wait patiently to play safely.

Some modifications to parks have been made to facilitate physical distancing such as spacing of picnic tables and removal of some swings. Parks with open public washrooms will have soap and water available for hand washing. Before and after playground use, everyone will be required to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer. Staff ask that you practice physical distancing with anyone not from your household or social circle.

Municipalities are not required to clean or disinfect playground equipment regularly. Please be aware of risks, use proper hand hygiene, do not touch your face and do not share sports equipment or toys.

Should a face covering be worn when using playgrounds, masks that easily tear away are the best option for playing on playgrounds to prevent the risk of entanglement. It is important to supervise children when using playgrounds and other play structures.

More playground safety guidelines are available on the County’s website at www.brant.ca/open.

The City of Woodstock is also opening playgrounds today.