Some Richmond-area swimming pools open for lap swimming; public swimming still on hold

Swimming pools are a mainstay of summer, especially here in Virginia when the temperatures soar and people seek the water to cool off, exercise and socialize.

But with restrictions on businesses still in place due to the coronavirus, many people are wondering: will pools be able to open this summer?

"It's what we do every summer. We live at the pool. We cook out here. We're at the pool all day," Courtney Gibson, facilities director of the Lewis Ginter Recreation Association Ginter Park pool, said. 

But considering the risks involved with the coronavirus this summer, she doesn't know if she'll allow her kids, age 10 and 13, to go to the pool.

"It's extremely complicated," she said. "I worry."

Under Gov. Ralph Northam's restrictions, outdoor pools in the counties and elsewhere in the state have been able to open for lap swimming under Phase One.

The water in swimming pools cannot spread the coronavirus, according to experts.

"We have no reason to suspect the COVID-19 is water born. If it was, the chlorine in the pool would kill it," Dr. Gonzalo Bearman, chair of the division of infectious diseases at VCU Health, said. "To enjoy the pool properly, you have to do your best to respect social distancing, wear a mask when not in the pool and wash your hands frequently."

ACAC's outdoor pool in Midlothian at 11621 Robious Road has been open for lap swimming since those guidelines went into place.

"We've been very busy. We offer six lanes and they've been booked every hour of every day that we've been open," Joyce Steed, general manager, said.

Starting Friday, Richmond will join the rest of the state and enter Phase One.

But Richmond city pools will not be opening this Friday for lap swimming. Richmond city pools typically open for the season at the end of the school year in mid-June. A decision regarding opening is still being made, according to Parks, Recreation & Community Facilities.

Other outdoor community pools in the city, where members pay a seasonal fee, are planning to open for lap swimming this weekend like the Southampton Recreation Association pool at 3201 Chellowe Road.

They will open for lap swim only, starting Saturday. Each session will be booked through an online system. Swimmers will arrive for a 60-minute time slot, swim and then leave immediately. No socializing in the pool area or parking lot will be allowed, Jeff Price, president of the pool board, said.

"The rules will be designed to allow swimmers…to exercise and keep everyone as safe as possible while at SRA," he wrote in an email to members.

There will be a 15 minute break between sessions to sanitize high touch areas and the restrooms will be open, but only one person will be allowed to enter at a time. The restrooms will be sanitized every hour.

"We have about 550 families at our pool. We've only had four or five say they don't want to come back this year," Price said.

With six lanes and two lifeguards on deck, only eight people will be allowed in the pool at one time under Phase One restrictions.

As for Phase Two, no one knows for sure what the summer swim season will look like, but most pools are expecting that guests will be required to wear masks while out of the pool and that capacity may be limited for some time.

"We'll follow whatever the health guidelines are," Price said. "If we can allow up to 20 or 30 people in the pool at a time and have more than lap swimming, we'll need to maintain social distancing. People will need to wear masks when they're not swimming, stay 10 feet apart from other people and wash their hands frequently."

ACAC has installed a screening area at the check-in gate, where members have their temperature checked and are required to answer four questions before they are allowed access to the pool.

Whether community pools will open or not is being determined on a case by case basis.

Last week, the Brandermill board unanimously decided not to open its three community pools for the rest of the 2020 season. Located in Chesterfield, Brandermill is a subdivision with roughly 14,000 residents.

"This was a difficult decision to make…however it was determined to be in the best interest of the association," the board wrote in a letter to members. Reasons for the closure included social distancing requirements, wearing of masks and an abundance of caution for the safety and well-being of the members and staff. The board said it also decided to remain closed to protect the association's financial interests.

The Pocahontas State Park Aquatic Center at 10301 State Park Road in Chesterfield will also remain closed for the 2020 season.

It's not the water in swimming pools that experts are worried about, but rather the surfaces around them.

"Swimming pools are going to be a challenge for a number of reasons," Dr. Richard Wenzel, infectious diseases epidemiologist at VCU Health and former chair of the Department of Medicine at VCU, said.

"The key thing we want is social distancing. We know it works," Dr. Wenzel said. "People who stay farther away from other people, at 10 feet or more, and who wear masks will help contain the spread of this virus. We know disinfecting frequently touched surfaces prevents contamination and lowers the risk if you touch your eyes, nose or mouth."

Keeping those safety guidelines in place is possible with lap swimming, he said. But if pools open to larger groups, he said it will be more difficult to maintain those guidelines.

"This virus is spread primarily by droplets. What isn't so easy is when you get 50 adults and 25-50 kids together and think you can social distance or keep surfaces clean," he said. "What do you do with the tables? Or lounge chairs? Surfaces are going to get contaminated, especially in restrooms that are often not well ventilated."

If alcoholic beverages are added into the mix, it gets even more complicated, he said.

"Although there is no single best way to control children in the pool, it is important that the pool not be overcrowded and that children and swimmers attempt to maintain 3 to 6 feet of distance between them," Dr. Bearson added.

At the end of the day – or a very hot day this summer – Dr. Wenzel said, "What level of risk are you willing to take?"

At the Ginter Park pool, organizers have decided to wait until Phase Two guidelines have been released before they will open the pool for lap swimming or otherwise.

About half of the Ginter Park pool's membership has declined to participate for the season, she said. Refunds and pro-rated rates have been offered to those members.

But many people are still planning to head to the pool this summer.

"If our pool can come up with a sensible and safe plan for little kids to swim in the main pool, we would love to be able to do that," Joey Nuckols, father of Lena, 3, and Mae, eight weeks, and member of the Southampton pool, said. "Last summer, my daughter Lena and I went to the pool nearly every day. I'm not sure what we'd do without the pool."

Richmond Pool