It’s time to put on that swimming suit again.
The pool at the Castlegar District and Recreation Complex reopened to the public with reduced capacity on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
People have to pre-register for programs online before they can walk in and use the pool. Programs taking place include Aquafit, Family Swim and Lap Swim.
Doors at the complex will be locked when people arrive and staff will only let them in if they’ve already pre-registered for one of the programs.
Another big change is the temporary closure of change rooms at the pool. People are asked to wear their swimsuits underneath their clothing before they arrive at the complex and after they leave it.
“The reason why we’re closing change rooms in pools across the district is because people tend to congregate together in these areas,” said Castlegar and District manager of recreation Jim Crockett.
“It’s also really hard to implement physical distancing measures and prevent people from mingling with each other.”
Crockett emphasized staff have been very cautious when implementing the safety protocols and will look at reopening the change rooms at a later date.
People will be assigned a seat around the pool where they change in and out of their clothes. A bin will be located next to the seat where they can store their personal belongings.
Masks also have to be worn in all of the common areas of the complex to mitigate the threat of COVID-19.
Crockett said that people still seem eager to use the pool given the current circumstances.
“Our Aquafit has been doing well and our Family Swim is slowly starting and that’s going to operate fine,” he said.
“With these regulations that we have in place, however, our numbers are considerably lower than what they are normally.”
The pool is currently operating with a maximum occupancy of 36 people.
People are encouraged to look over the safety protocols at the gym and area in the complex on the Regional District Central Kootenay’s website.
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