CA Parks Open During Covid-19 Crisis
Community and state parks remain open as exceptions to mandatory shelter-in-place order, also include going out to exercise while observing social distancing.
The shelter-in-place directives by San Francisco Bay Area authorities are mandatory and enforceable by law. Yet the authorities also recognize that some people need to engage in outdoor activities such as walking, hiking, running, hiking and biking, as part of regimens for staying physically and mentally fit. That being the case, residents except senior citizens, children and others vulnerable to the Covid-19 disease, can engage in outdoor physical exercises.
However, social distancing must still be observed, which means even if people go out to exercise with other eligible members of the family, they should still maintain a distance of at least 6 feet apart. That way, they will not be congregating or crowding as a group while running, walking or exercising inside the park.
Safety Measures Taken by Park Authorities to Accommodate Local Park Visitors while in Community Lockdown
In keeping the objectives of the community quarantine and social distancing measures intact, administrators of California community and national parks have implemented certain changes to park operations.
1. Only outdoor facilities remain open, while buildings and indoor spaces such as park offices, site offices and visitor centers are closed to foot traffic.
2. To limit interaction with park staffers and park rangers, signs have been posted to direct park visitors to free standing port-a-johns or restrooms. Moreover, the portable restrooms are being sanitized and disinfected three times a day: morning, mid-day and afternoon.
3. The public cannot access or use outdoor fitness zones, exercise equipment and playgrounds. Temporary orange fencing and tapes have been placed around the area to enforce restrictions.
4. Inasmuch as camping sites, nature tours, park programs and group pavilions have been shut down and canceled, park administrators are no longer taking reservations as well as canceled those booked prior to the Bay Area lockdown.
5. The good news though is that as of this writing, California State Parks authorities are still keeping beaches and trails open to the public, as long as people strictly adhere to the social distancing directives.
