Contact: Taylor Bunch, pool manager

417-293-4135

tmbunch76@gmail.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Warsaw Municipal Pools faces COVID-19, creates new strategies for summer fun

Pool management will work hard to minimize public health risk this season

Warsaw, Mo. (May 1, 2020) – The pool management staff has been working closely with city administration for weeks, attempting to come up with a plan that will best protect the community from coronavirus transmission and still allow them to utilize the pool facility this summer. The pool plans to open its doors Wednesday, June 3, pending the reopening plans for Missouri set forth by the governor. The pool will be open for daily swim Wednesday through Sunday.

For the month of June, the facility will be limited to 43 patrons and 7 lifeguards. "This is tough because if we are close to capacity, we won't be able to let large groups in if it will put us over capacity due to the guidelines put in place for the public safety," assistant manager Dustin Roark said. Headcount will be taken at the door, and patrons will be required to sign in on a sheet that will allow the pool to know which individuals have been in the facility.

The staff recognizes that this lower capacity may prevent the community from using the facility as much as they would like. However, it is their hope that the guidelines will allow for more patrons further into the summer. "We are going to keep a running count posted on the website updated every hour, as well as posting it on a sign outside of the facility. The public can always contact us at 660-428-2199 to check our availability. We want to be as transparent with the community as possible during this time, we are all adjusting as best as we can," manager Taylor Bunch said.

The team has come up with many guidelines based on social distancing measures put in place by the state. Patrons will be made aware of these guidelines before entering the facility, and lifeguards will enforce them. Some of these guidelines include extra sanitization of equipment and surfaces that may promote the spread of the virus, allowing patrons to eat outside of the concessions area to maintain social distancing, and marking off designated areas for patrons to remain at a safe distance from each other. “The big thing is limiting the amount of people in the facility and making sure those people keep their distance. It isn’t ideal, but it’s what we have to do,” Roark said.

While the pool will be closed for open swim on Monday and Tuesday, the staff plans to make use of the facility by hosting more water aerobics classes. Water aerobics will be taught Monday through Friday from 9-10 a.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 7-8 p.m. Extra lap swim hours have been added to the schedule as well. At this time, pool parties are not being scheduled.

Although conditions are tough, the staff is focused on coming up with a plan to best accommodate the community. Pool administrator Jenn Bradshaw is keeping an open mind. “The plan in June may be different from the plan in July. We are going to remain fluid and adaptable,” Bradshaw said.

While management recognizes the risks posed by opening, they also recognize the important role the pool plays for the Warsaw community in the summer. Bradshaw has expressed her concerns about opening the facility in such uncertain conditions but is remaining positive for opening day. “The situation with the virus is changing every day, but as long as we are vigilant, we believe we can find a way to keep the pool open this season,” Bradshaw said.

Bunch also emphasized the importance of the facility. “The parents and kids in the community rely on this pool to be open in the summer. We have kids who come every single day of the season. They didn’t ask for this, and I can’t imagine what they would do all summer without it. I think opening is the right choice, and we wouldn’t do it if we didn’t take every precaution to keep people safe,” Bunch said.

For more information, visit https://sites.google.com/view/bunchtaylor1400/

About The Warsaw Municipal Pool

The Warsaw Pool takes pride in our facility, team, and customers. Each and every lifeguard looks forward to opening day and seeing the community members that they’ve created relationships with during previous seasons, as well as meeting the new tourists that populate the area each summer. We can’t wait to kick off the summer with a splash!

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