The Town of North Hempstead pools will be open for the summer season with COVID-19 precautions, the town announced.
Outdoor pool facilities at Manorhaven Beach Park, Martin “Bunky” Reid Park in New Cassel, Whitney Pond Park in Manhasset and Clinton G. Martin Park in New Hyde Park will reopen in June, while the pool at Great Neck’s Harbor Hills Park opened on Saturday, officials said.
“With temperatures on the rise and summer underway, we are so excited to see the reopening of many of the activities that we all love including our local community pools,” Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth said in a statement. “We invite residents and their families to join us at one of our many pools to cool down this summer.”
Manorhaven Beach Park and Clinton G. Martin Park will open on Saturday, June 19, while Whitney Pond Park and Reid Park will open on Saturday, June 26.
Initially, outdoor pools will be open daily with limited capacity for two sessions, while the pool facility will be closed midday for cleaning.
Visitors will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis, and guidelines are subject to change according to guidance from the New York State Department of Health.
High-traffic areas will also be cleaned frequently throughout the day, and visitors won’t be allowed to re-enter once they leave. No guest passes or guest entry will be allowed.
Pool visitors will also have to wear masks when not in the pool and stay six feet apart while waiting in line in the facility and while on the pool deck, according to a town news release.
Each facility’s capacity will be monitored, and the hours of operation may be adjusted to help adhere to social distancing guidelines. Locker rooms and shower facilities will have a reduced capacity, and visitors are encouraged to wash their hands frequently.
Children younger than 12 must be accompanied by an adult. No outside food deliveries will be allowed, and no food will be allowed on the pool deck. Food will be allowed in designated areas only.
Guest passes will be permitted only for children and grandchildren younger than 12. All teenagers, seniors and adults must be residents to use the pools, and Clinton G. Martin and Harbor Hills are open only to residents of special park districts.
Residents can register for pool passes at Manorhaven Beach Park in advance from Tuesday, June 1, through Friday, June 18, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Wednesdays from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. After June 18, residents can register during normal hours of operation.
Regular operating hours at Manorhaven Beach Park from June 19 to Friday, Aug. 20, will be 9 a.m. through 7 p.m., with the first session running from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the second session lasting from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sanitization will take place from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
The hours at Manorhaven Beach Park will shift to 10 a.m. through 6 p.m. from Aug. 21 to Sept. 6. The first session will run from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., followed by the second session from 2:30 to 6 p.m.
Operating hours at Whitney Pond Park will be from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., beginning June 26, with one session from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and another session from 3 to 7 p.m.
In addition to regular registration policies, residents can purchase passes ahead of time at a reduced price during an “early bird” registration period that ends June 25.
