BOISE, Idaho — Several people have written to KTVB saying Idahoans are not practicing social distancing. Social distancing is CDC’s recommendation to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
Viewers said they would drive around and see many people in groups at parks, the hot springs or other outdoor places.
It’s no secret that many Idahoans love the outdoors and love their public lands. Families can enjoy going outside to either take kids to a park or walk the dog.
Right now, outside is one of the few places people can go to try and reduce stress. Social distancing should still be practiced though, even outside.
The National Recreation and Park Association recommends to not use parks or trails if you’re sick or showing symptoms, practice good hygiene, and observe the CDC’s minimum recommended social distancing of six feet from another person.
On Friday, KTVB sent a crew out to some parks to see if Idahoans were indeed bad at social distancing. The first park was Memorial Park in Caldwell.
There weren’t a lot of people at the park around noon, so social distancing was being practiced.
After that, the crew went to one of Boise’s most popular parks, Camel’s Back. Social distancing wasn’t being practiced by everyone at the park. Some were sitting too close to each other, at times there were several kids on the playground equipment.
The last park was Ann Morrison. The people the KTVB crew saw were practicing social distancing.
While social distancing is important to try and reduce the spread of COVID-19, that’s not the only thing to consider when visiting a park.
Parents should also consider the playground equipment. A spokesperson for Boise Parks and Recreation told KTVB they do not clean or sanitize each playground structure.
The reason is that they have around 90 parks in the city, so they simply don’t have the manpower to drive to each park with a playground and disinfect it on a regular basis.
Parks and Rec isn’t closing the playgrounds either. They're leaving it up to parents.
A spokesperson told KTVB though they will be putting up signs at each playground discouraging folks from using them for their own safety.
If you still want to use it, Parks and Rec asks to make sure the kids have washed their hands and to make sure they wash them afterward. They also want social distancing to still be practiced.
Social distancing can be hard because six feet is a good amount of space between two people. This is one way to help flatten the curve to make sure hospitals aren't overwhelmed with patients sick from COVID-19.
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