Not only will rec swim resume at the Fred Endert Municipal Pool, but instructors will be allowed to teach swim lessons from the water. File photo by Jessica C. Andrews

The Fred Endert Municipal Pool is resuming recreational swim sessions this Saturday and has begun expanding pool services previously unavailable to patrons due to COVID-19 restrictions.

These include reopening the showers and the sauna, though capacity will still be limited, according to City Manager Eric Wier. Instructors will also be allowed into the pool during swim lessons rather than teaching from the deck, he said.

“When we were first allowed to open at all it was just swim lessons only,” Wier told the Wild Rivers Outpost on Wednesday. “We (then) opened it up to lap swim and aerobics where we could accomplish space. The one program that was still hanging out was recreational swim.”

Wier noted that the reason the city held off on resuming recreational swim is because it involves kids from different households congregating in one space.

“Now, given the current situation, (Del Norte’s public health officer) feels comfortable opening the program back up, so we’re excited to do so,” Wier said.

According to Wier, these changes at the pool come after Del Norte County Public Health Officer Dr. Aaron Stutz issued new guidance allowing student athletes, staff, referees and other officials to a list of individuals exempt from wearing masks as long as they tested for COVID weekly.

Stutz’s order, issued Nov. 22, also stated that face masks were no longer required at crowded outdoor spaces and events.

According to the county’s COVID-19 information hub, there are currently 66 active cases in Del Norte County with two reported to the Public Health Branch on Tuesday. One person is hospitalized due to the novel coronavirus, according to county health authorities.

On Wednesday, Wier said Stutz hadn’t set a limit to the number of people that could be in the pool at one time during a recreational swim session. A typical session attracts 20-30 youngsters, Wier said. He said if the pool gets overcrowded, staff will ask Stutz’s advice again.

Other changes at the pool include the reopening of locker room showers to two people at a time. The sauna is open to one person at a time, according to Wier.

For more information about the pool, click here.

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