With nearly half of Louisvillians vaccinated and statewide capacity restrictions set to lift, Louisville Parks and Recreation opened its pools this weekend.
Unlike last summer, community members will not need reservations, and capacity limitations will only last until June 11.
All three pools will be open from 12-2 p.m. and 3-5 p.m., six days a week. The Sun Valley Swimming Pool will be closed on Wednesdays. The Fairdale Swimming Pool will be closed on Mondays. The Algonquin Swimming Pool will be closed on Tuesdays.
Margaret Bosco, assistant director of Louisville Parks and Recreation, said the hours were set this way to give lifeguards a break and a chance to clean parts of the pools during the day.
“In general, people go to the pool to cool off in the middle of the day and I think we’ve nailed the heat of the day with those hours,” Bosco said.
After restrictions are lifted mid-June, Bosco says it’ll look a lot like a pre-pandemic year.
“Obviously, we’ll continue to encourage people if they’re not vaccinated to wear masks and we’ll encourage people to social distance with people that they’re not familiar with, they’re not a part of their party,” Bosco said. “Where pre-COVID, we didn’t really worry about those types of things but I think we’re living in a different world now. People understand that.”
The reservation system from last summer will now longer be in use. However, Bosco says pools will turn guests away if too many people come at once. If this happens repeatedly, they will go back to the reservation system.
The department worked with Louisville Health & Wellness and state and national experts as they created their plan for the summer.
“Whether it’s COVID or not COVID, anytime you have people around water, safety is the number one priority,” says Bosco.
The spraygrounds, which were not open last year, will be open this summer as well. Even with some of the pandemic-imposed limitations, Bosco is still excited.
“We realize that we are the backyard for so many people,” Bosco said. “And I would argue we’re the coolest backyard that anybody could possibly have.”
