Splash time: Youngwood pool opens with special restrictions

Seven-year-old Catalina Jennings was the first to make a splash at Youngwood Park N Pool minutes after it opened Wednesday.

Her mother was not far away, applying sunscreen in a shaded 12- by 12-foot section of grass where the family set up for the day. They were among a dozen people in line before 11 a.m. to get in the public pool, believed to be the first in the region to open with new restrictions aimed at reducing the spread of the coronavirus.

“I wanted to come back to normalcy, and I feel like being in the sun and all this is safe,” said Sarah Jennings of Youngwood.

Catalina and her sister, Hayden, 11, got right in, as did several other children while adults spread out blankets in sections marked off in the grass meant to provide social distancing. The Youngwood pool is among few such facilities around the region that are opening this year.

“We are trying our best to comply with the guidelines,” president Ed Christofano said. “We understand we’re going to have record numbers. We just ask everyone to be patient.”

Patrons wore masks when arriving but left them behind in their designated area to get in the water. A public service announcement over the loudspeaker interrupted pop music to remind swimmers and sunbathers to keep their distance from others. Yellow caution tape was staked throughout the grassy areas to prevent people from walking into squared-off sections.

Many public pools are staying closed amid the coronavirus pandemic, although state officials issued guidance to help pools operate through the summer as mitigation restrictions are loosened. Others are still mulling the decision or making preparations to open.

Public pools in Pittsburgh and Lynch Field in Greensburg are among those not opening. The Leechburg Area Pool in Gilpin and Vandergrift Memorial Pool are set to open June 12. Preparations are underway to open the pool at Sylvan Park in Harrison.

Sandcastle Water Park in West Homestead and Idlewild and SoakZone in Ligonier Township delayed opening this year. Neither has announced when they might resume.

Pools can operate as long as they follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that require swimmers to stay 6 feet apart and for pools to reduce capacity. Masks are expected to be worn when people are out of the water.

The CDC said there is no evidence the coronavirus can spread to people through water in pools, hot tubs or water playgrounds.

Pools opening this year instituted a variety of safety measures, including increased cleaning, adding staff to monitor social distancing and wearing masks in specific areas. Capacity is being limited, with some facilities requiring reservations and setting aside blocks of time for swimming.

Christofano said the Youngwood pool and its surrounding 20 acres will be limited to 250 to 300 people daily during its 59th season.

“We did add additional staff to help with crowd control,” he said.

Colleen LeMasters of Jeannette was happy to get her two granddaughters out of the house for a new activity. While their mother works, they’ve been doing puzzles and playing hopscotch for weeks to stay occupied. Schools have been closed since mid-March in favor of distance learning.

Brynn, 9, and Rylee Lersch, 7, started asking at 8 a.m. Wednesday if it was time to go to the pool, LeMasters said. She didn’t have any concerns about going swimming but said they may have to get in line earlier to beat the crowds as the summer goes on.

“I’m just happy that they’re out. They can go swimming and get some exercise,” she said.