Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.
Relaxing poolside this summer? Be sure to make room for face masks and hand sanitizer alongside your goggles and sunblock, federal health officials now advise.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a lengthy list of safety guidelines for those operating public pools, hot tubs, and water playgrounds amid the coronavirus pandemic. Decisions on implementing the considerations, however, "should be made locally" and "in collaboration with local health officials," the CDC wrote.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
The federal agency already noted there is no evidence the virus causing COVID-19 can spread to others through the water in pools, hot tubs, or other water play areas. Even so, crowds at public pools do pose a risk of infection. Therefore, all pool-goers should maintain adequate hand hygiene, cover coughs and sneezes, adhere to social distancing guidelines, and wear cloth face-coverings, the CDC advises.
GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS CASES SURPASS 5 MILLION
While pool visitors should wear face coverings, it's important to note that the CDC advised against wearing cloth face coverings in the water because they can cause breathing difficulties when wet.
Swimmers might also hear regular announcements over the PA system and see posted signs advising safety around the virus.
Public pools that choose to open this summer should disinfect high-touch surfaces — such as lounge chairs, pool noodles, and kickboards — on a daily basis, per the CDC.
HOMEMADE CORONAVIRUS MASKS: TIPS TO WASH YOUR FACE COVERING PROPERLY
Pool-goers can also anticipate pool chairs to be spaced apart in an effort to comply with social-distancing measures. Those in the water also should not expect to swim in close proximity with friends, the federal agency says, and bathroom breaks could be scheduled in staggered uses, too.
Find additional pool safety guidelines from the CDC here.