Left high and dry all summer by COVID-19, Whatcom swimmers get good news
It’s been more than five months since Bellingham’s Arne Hanna Aquatic Center closed its doors by order of Gov. Jay Inslee due to the coronavirus pandemic, leaving most of the local aquatics community ... well, high and dry this summer, if you will.
It got some welcome news Saturday, Aug. 29, as Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood announced the aquatic center will reopen Monday, Sept. 14.
“Pool use will require pre-registration and be limited to pass holders, with scholarships available for those who do not have passes. Activities offered beginning Sept. 14 include lap swimming, water walking, deep water running and water aerobics. Swim lessons may be resumed later, depending upon demand. Open swims are not permissible until at least Phase 4,” according to a city news release.
Before the closure, the center averaged 10,000-15,000 visits per month. Local swimmers had become frustrated seeing other pools in the region begin to open back up under new guidelines set by the governor in early June.
Hours of operation will depend on staff availability. The city plans to post details and schedules on the Arne Hanna Aquatic Center page of the city website.
“Due to the capacity limits and costs associated with staffing the pool, we originally planned to delay opening until Phase 3,” Nicole Oliver, Parks and Recreation director said in the release. “After assessing community needs and evaluating the revised state guidance carefully, to ensure financial and health and safety goals could be met, we are excited to be able to reopen to the public now,” Oliver said.
Whatcom County remains in Phase 2 of the state’s Safe Start Washington plan.
Pools and other indoor recreation facilities closed in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 in March and were initially scheduled to begin opening at limited capacity in Phase 3 under Safe Start Washington.
But on June 9, Inslee issued modifications to the reopening requirements for miniature golf and staffed water recreation facilities.
Oliver said the Aquatic Center must ensure strict adherence to all measures established by Gov. Inslee’s guidance. Safety protocols, according the city’s news release, include:
▪ Cloth face coverings are required by all, except when in the water.
▪ Plexiglass screens will be placed between staff and participants at the front desk.
▪ The facility will maintain as much fresh air flow as possible throughout, including the pool building, locker rooms and offices.
▪ Aquatic staff will complete touch-point cleaning on an hourly basis of door handles, counters, benches, plexiglass, ladders, toilets, sinks and showers. Facilities staff will complete a nightly deep cleaning of the facility.
▪ Aquatic Center swimming equipment, diving board and waterslide will be closed/unavailable.
▪ Social distancing of six feet or more between individuals is required (land and water) unless they live in the same household.
▪ Signage and markings will be posted noting appropriate entrances/exits and social distancing within and outside the facility.
▪ Revised rescue and first aid protocols are in place to ensure both staff and visitor safety during any emergency.
▪ All staff will receive additional training on new protocols.
▪ Participants must be registered to enter the facility, except for community shower users.
▪ Aquatics staff will arrange dedicated swim team rental periods to ensure lap lane availability for other pool users.
“According to the (Centers for Disease Control), COVID-19 transmission is not likely through contact with properly disinfected water,” the new state orders stated. “All staffed water recreation facilities should follow (the Department of Health’s) guidance document, which focuses on reducing transmission through air and frequently touched surfaces.”
With lower case numbers, Whatcom County is inching toward the state’s threshold of fewer than 25 cases per 100,000 residents over a two-week span. But on July 28, Inslee extended the pause indefinitely on counties moving ahead in the Safe Start Washington plan, freezing Whatcom County in Phase 2 until that pause is lifted.
The aquatics community was to get anxious to get back in the water, especially as they saw other pools opening in the region, including pools at the Mount Vernon YMCA and Fidalgo Pool in Anacortes.
Swim activities in the large and small pools at the Whatcom Family YMCA in Bellingham remain suspended under Stage 1 Reopening, according to the facility’s reopening guide on its website.
With the pools closed, the Bellingham Bay Swim Team has taken to the chilly morning waters of Lake Padden, as “about 100 kids are forced to do the sport they have chosen in a horrible environment,” Anastasia Potapova told The Herald in an email.
“So many people in our community are missing their primary form of exercise,” masters swimmer and coach with the Bellingham Bay Swim Team Brad Jones told The Herald in an email. “Kids on the swim team, masters swimmers, lap swimmers, deep water runners, and water aerobics folks need the pool to open for exercise, mental health, and to do what brings them joy. The aquatics community needs this now more than ever.”
This story was originally published August 29, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
