Pools reopening amid virus?

[Trade Winds]

I'm curious if other mers are seeing pools around them opening or staying closed? Where I am in Texas, it's kind of a mix. Some cities are not wanting to open aquatic centers, while others are doing so in the next week. Some lakes/beaches are not opening, some are. All with limited capacity.

[MerEmma]

I live in southern/central FL (depending on who you ask) and I don't know of any public pools reopening around me? But apartment pools have opened back up. I know that the springs are also open again. I'm not comfortable going to them, yet, although I'm absolutely dying to. :/ If my apartment's pool was reliably empty maybe I'd go for a quick dip, but there are some families with kids who are taking advantage a lot of the day and I know they need the entertainment more than I do lol.

[theMerFanc]

I live in Phoenix Arizona. My apartment pool open and I want to say 2 days ago. And our public pool supposedly open on the 13th. I haven't checked any of their website to see if they actually did open but I know that's when the governor allow them open. We have a couple of lakes but I'm not close enough to any of them to know if they've opened or not and no beaches here

[Trade Winds]

Honestly I would think apartment pools opening are the worst idea. At least at the 2 apartments I lived at, and the ones I have visited where other people live, it is hard to control how many people you have in the pool. Or the pools are plain nasty. People will jump the fence off hours, or you have weirdos coming in from outside the complex to use the pool. I wouldn't trust it one bit. I'm grateful an indoor place near me will be open, if only for a fitness swim (lap lanes!).

Lakes are easier, I don't need a designated swimming area or beach. I will park my car and walk to where I want to swim. Like I said, some beaches are opening next week. Others are staying closed, but the state parks where they are located are open, but one could still swim there without a designated swimming area.

Some cities are flat out not opening anything for the summer, I'm hoping the one close to me with a nice indoor pool decides to reopen. Only costs $2 to get in!

I have debated buying a small inflatable pool for my backyard, but want to hold off til I know how all this pool opening business goes. Rather go to a pool/lake than run up my water bill right now.

[MerEmma]

See, I’m more comfortable with a pool in some ways because we do have studies showing that appropriate levels of chlorine kill the virus in the water. But I don’t think we really know anything about how it might exist or spread in freshwater.

[Echidna]

See, I’m more comfortable with a pool in some ways because we do have studies showing that appropriate levels of chlorine kill the virus in the water. But I don’t think we really know anything about how it might exist or spread in freshwater.

I'd be more worried about the person less than 10 metres away from you sneezing, coughing or shouting in your direction.
And even if the "distance" is kept (who stays away 10 metres? Less, and their droplets can reach you), if there is wind it will be distributed everywhere, and you don't stay put in place either.
Can't imagine many putting on facemasks while swimming, either.

Since I'm living in the awful country whose citizens consider it their given right to infect everyone else as they please (everyday strikes and protests against simple precautions), I'm certainly not setting a foot anywhere near other people this summer.

[MerEmma]

I'd be more worried about the person less than 10 metres away from you sneezing, coughing or shouting in your direction.
And even if the "distance" is kept (who stays away 10 metres? Less, and their droplets can reach you), if there is wind it will be distributed everywhere, and you don't stay put in place either.
Can't imagine many putting on facemasks while swimming, either.

Since I'm living in the awful country whose citizens consider it their given right to infect everyone else as they please (everyday strikes and protests against simple precautions), I'm certainly not setting a foot anywhere near other people this summer.

Oh, yes, being around other people in general is a huge risk as well. I just feel that if I had the choice between a pool deck with nobody around at that moment, or a natural body of water with nobody around at that moment, I personally would feel safer in pool water because of the chemicals. Can I ask where in Europe you are? As an American obviously a lot of my news is very US-centric but based on your description of daily protests I would've thought you were living here.

Having said that, this seems like the right place to share this, an immunologist expert's very detailed look at the virus and how it spreads: https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them

[theMerFanc]

I'd be more worried about the person less than 10 metres away from you sneezing, coughing or shouting in your direction.
And even if the "distance" is kept (who stays away 10 metres? Less, and their droplets can reach you), if there is wind it will be distributed everywhere, and you don't stay put in place either.
Can't imagine many putting on facemasks while swimming, either.

Since I'm living in the awful country whose citizens consider it their given right to infect everyone else as they please (everyday strikes and protests against simple precautions), I'm certainly not setting a foot anywhere near other people this summer.
I don't swim the strangers anyway so It's not a huge issue for me. If there are other people (ie kids) in my apartment pool I don't go anywhere near it! A public pool is harder to do that with but I'm sure they'd be limiting the number of people able to get in at any given time.

[Trade Winds]

Update on my area for some perspective. The indoor pool is fitness swim only. Max ppl is 13. The beach opening is making ppl buy parking passes online. Their limit is 160 cars. So that can still equal 200+ plus people at the beach. Their passes aren't bought out much right now, maybe 50 for the weekend. I wanna go sooo bad but it's supposed to rain.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

When the government stops calling it a pandemic, we no longer see 2nd waves and there is no more lockdowns. Then I'll start going to the pool again.

[the.tattooed.mermaid78]

I won't be setting foot in any pools what so ever until it is absolutely safe to do so. Other people swimming you run the risk of catching corona as as disgusting as it sounds people's saliva Omomgst other thing will be in that pool at it will end up in your mouth.

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[Echidna]

Can I ask where in Europe you are? As an American obviously a lot of my news is very US-centric but based on your description of daily protests I would've thought you were living here.


US protests as well? sheesh.
I'm smack in middle Europe, traveling a lot though and hoping to resettle elsewhere. I'd like to go back to China, but I have a feeling it wouldn't be that advantageous for a mermaid at the moment :p

[K Swim]

I have a couple of lakes that I can *sometimes* swim in, and with no one else around, so low virus risk. No pool concerns here.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

The thing is, people that still do insist on going to the pool, somebody else may be a carrier, sure the chlorine will kill it. But upon entering the premises, the virus could be carried to the airconditioning. And from there, it will travel and infect others. I know it sounds very paranoid but this thing kills. Its not some normal flu or cold.

[Echidna]

I know it sounds very paranoid

no, it doesn't. I can only shake my head at the constant "chlorine kills it"- allegations.
You get it from exhalations, not from water. So unless there is a lot of disinfectant in the air (hint: there isn't), it doesn't matter at all there is chlorinated water around you.
And since you breathe deeper and faster when swimming, not to mention diving/tailswimming, there is a huge risk of getting it, no matter how far away the "next swimmer" is, especially in air-conditioned enclosed spaces.

That said, no indoor pool in these parts has opened yet. Only outdoor pools, with very strict regulations, but I still consider it too dangerous since I'm in the "at risk"-demographic.
And there are plenty of perfectly healthy younger people who have gotten it badly and now have to deal with the long-term, maybe even irreversible damage. No thanks.

We put our own pool in the garden. It's small and very shallow, which sucks, but it's still better than risk getting the covid bs.

[fabianfrz]

The indoor pool at our place is open (Austria) and I don't think it is that a huge issue here. Since most people go to the outdoor pools or open water it is almost empty. Since I prefer open water I go there as well during summer.

[MerEmma]

no, it doesn't. I can only shake my head at the constant "chlorine kills it"- allegations.
You get it from exhalations, not from water. So unless there is a lot of disinfectant in the air (hint: there isn't), it doesn't matter at all there is chlorinated water around you.
And since you breathe deeper and faster when swimming, not to mention diving/tailswimming, there is a huge risk of getting it, no matter how far away the "next swimmer" is, especially in air-conditioned enclosed spaces.

Ugh, yeah. This is so true. :/

My university reopens in a week and is opening the entire REC center. I usually lift weights 3x a week but have not since everything closed down in March. It's been a struggling for me to remain active due to some physical and equipment limitations (like everyone else out there, I know I'm not alone lol). But while I'm definitely not not comfortable spending 90min inside a gym with a bunch of other people huffing and puffing the air to lift weights, in my head I started to think that maybe swimming in the pool (large warehouse building, and honestly a giant flippin' pool) might be a good way for me to be active without major risk. But...yeah, maybe not so much. Ugh.

I wish their Olympic-style pool was outdoors, dammit. My university's outdoor pool is not lap-style which makes it a lot harder to use for well, lap swimming. Sigh.

[Mermaid Fina]

Hi. Im french so here this virus stuff seem more controlled than in the us but as i am in the at risk group being disabled i m totally paranoïd with corona. I go out as few as i can to be honest let alone to the pool but it lacks me a lot if it wasnt for it with the heat wave right now where am i i d be in pool every second of my existence. And alas people here also protest against basic hygiene mesure even the ones that were already basic good manners before this Pandemic like wash your hands...weirdly some people seem to be even more unconscious with this hygiène stuff than before as some kind of i dont know contestation spirit maybe. Well i already had to hear 24h/24h 7j/7 the awful « dont worry this virus only kill the disabled and the old » prevention message of our gouvernement every day in this pandemic which translate to my ears to « do fear this eugenist politicians they dont care about your life at all » and confront to all of my less sheltered than me friends catching it, my great mother dying (not from virus but from lacks of medical staff she needed in cardiology because of hospital overload so indirectly yes), all of friends survived it refused to hospital and doctors with only herbal médecine from their mothers to help (im from a broke background so are most of my friends especially the closest true ones) and most survived it with no consequences but one asthmatic had her lung a bit more damaged by that than they already were...fuck that’ s my bff. And now second wave is near...and all i can do is pray. I hate this whole situation when will it finally end? Well That was hellish but i feel lack no right to complain more than that since most people i know had it worse than me over all with this corona stuff. After all our grand parents survived wwi and wwii it would be unfair to their memory to lose smile and hope for a mere world epidemic (especially as with the spanish flu they knew that too). On the other hand i think those protests are white racist stuff for what i see asian, african and arab friends seems way more prudent and respectful on average around me for one reason or another. Well good all eugenism as always. As a disabled jew well, i m just gonna take all the care i can for my health and the one of those around me and stay as optimistic as i can since in émergencies like this its a duty to be so. Therefore i long for the day i can come back to the pool free of any of this worries and having learn from this évents how to be a stronger and more useful person and the most lovely pool mer i can become.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Since noone has tested how long the virus can survive in swimming pools, there is chlorine, bromine, salt and other variations of pool water. I'm not going near a pool nor step inside the swim centre till the pandemic is given the all clear.

In the Aussie news, a 20yr old has died from the virus and he had no other existing complications. So you young people, take care, don't go to public pools. Wait till the government says its ok. It won't be over for a long time, I reckon.

[AniaR]

IN the Canadian Atlantic provinces we keep having little to no cases. Where I live we had no cases for a month. All cases have been related to very controlled travel, that forces folks to quarantine when they arrive. There's been no community spread as a result. We also have mandatory masks and social distancing that is mostly being enforced.

The beaches opened up with distancing enforced. The pools did as well but only lane swims with 1 person per lane. So we weren't able to work all summer with these restrictions. But it's OK we all liked having a break.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

IN the Canadian Atlantic provinces we keep having little to no cases. Where I live we had no cases for a month. All cases have been related to very controlled travel, that forces folks to quarantine when they arrive. There's been no community spread as a result. We also have mandatory masks and social distancing that is mostly being enforced.

The beaches opened up with distancing enforced. The pools did as well but only lane swims with 1 person per lane. So we weren't able to work all summer with these restrictions. But it's OK we all liked having a break.

That's so lucky! Some people over here still insist on going to public events like protests and other large gatherings where social distancing is not observed.

[Mermaid Fina]

Yes. Lucky they are. Here only very few far right protests take place but we have some sadly and they didn't even cancel Tour de France because money while perfectly knowing it is a risk of expanding the pandemic second wave. I would like to live somewhere people are respectful and care for the others so much.

[Runa]

Where I live in Kansas indoor aquatic centers have lap pools open for exercise but the recreational pool is closed. Last summer all the pools were closed, and I guess I'll just have to wait and see how things change this year.

[MaraMoon]

I'm in Ireland and right now everything is closed.

[catherinecreates]

I'm in New Mexico, the aquatics center around the corner from me is open by reservation. You can just have a lane for an hour. Sucks because sometimes you get a crappy lane.

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[Merman Storm]

The pool near me (Simi rec center) never closed.They just added rules: Reservations, lane only, and "no deck changing", which may mean no putting on a tail, although I have not checked that out. (They did allow tails during lane swimming before). Ive stayed away simply because I REALLY do not want covid.

[lotusauriel]

In Missouri, the aqua center in my town has been open by reservation only. But you have to be a paid member/live in town to go there anyway, or be a guest of someone who is. Same basic rules as anywhere else these days, though they seem to be pretty lenient once you've paid.

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