Of all the stupid things that elected political leaders cooked up during the coronavirus pandemic, at the top of the list is every order that has kept people from making a beeline to the nearest parks, pools, and beaches.
Having closed off those facilities will go down as likely the worst decision ever made as far as “slowing the spread” goes.
We’ve known for weeks that the spread of the virus is weakest in the open air, and, what’s more, it effectively disintegrates when exposed to sustained ultraviolet rays. In other words, lying by the pool on a hot day with an adult beverage is the most ideal location for anyone and everyone who wants to avoid getting sick.
And yet, as Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C., has allowed the city to begin “phase one” of her ridiculous “reopening” plan, public pools remain off-limits. That’s even as parks, dog parks, tennis courts, tracks, and fields are given the green light.
We’re not set to reopen pools in the district until “phase three” of Bowser’s plan. That means they won’t reopen until “sporadic transmission” of the virus is detected, whatever that means.
Mind you, this is all while Bowser encourages everyone in the city and his or her grandmother to go out and protest the death of George Floyd. (Speaking of which, I hope none of those people have any underlying conditions!)
And remember the absolute hysteria over the video of crowds of young people having a pool party at the Lake of the Ozarks? It’s been about two weeks since then, and we haven’t heard a word about any massive outbreak regarding that episode or any other infection related to a person who went outside and enjoyed the water.
This is nothing if not anti-science.
Why would virtually every other form of outdoor recreation be allowed but not pools? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explicitly says that the transmission of the coronavirus is virtually nonexistent between people in communal pools.
“There is no evidence that the virus that causes COVID-19 can be spread to people through the water in pools, hot tubs, spas, or water play areas,” according to the CDC’s website. The virus, it says, dies in pools that are properly maintained, meaning “shocked” with chlorine.
Even as every other state in the country began resuming normal business about three weeks ago, the city barely started before being shut down once again following the mass rioting over Floyd’s death.
There’s almost nothing to do here. Restaurants and bars are able to serve only in their limited outdoor spaces. Gyms are closed. Fitness studios are closed. Retail stores are closed, with the exception of curbside pickup (so have fun trying on those pants on the sidewalk).
The least we should be able to do is go to the pool, which is incidentally one of the safest places to be. Maybe that means roping off the locker rooms or maybe that means ensuring that recliners are kept 6 feet apart. Fine, but open them up.
Someone tell Bowser to listen to the science.
