Playgrounds, schools reopen
Just three words can accurately describe the reaction of Patty Voykin’s grandchildren Monday when they visited the freshly reopened playground at Skaha Lake Park: “Excitement. Running. Gone.”
“I had to keep track of them — they went in two different directions,” Voykin said with a laugh as she played with Chance, 4, and Indy, 1.
They were among about a dozen other families at the playground by mid-morning, just a few hours into the latest phase of the city’s plan to reopen public facilities that were shuttered in late March as a result of COVID-19.
Voykin, who lives in the West Kootenays, travelled to Penticton last week and said the older child, Chance, was “Christmastime excited” when he learned parks were reopening.
Noting there have been just two cases of COVID-19 among kids under 10 in the Interior Health region, Voykin is confident her grandchildren are safe at the playground.
The reopening Monday of playgrounds and outdoor exercise equipment followed the Friday reopening of basketball courts and water bottle fill stations, and tennis courts last month.
“Generally speaking, most people have been following the rules so far,” Bregje Kozak, deputy director of the Penticton emergency operations centre, said in an email Monday.
“We initiated a report card system where parks staff, facilities staff or bylaw completed a quick online survey when visiting any of the outdoor facilities, in attempt to capture usage and behaviour data.
“Other than some reminders about maintaining social distancing while using our tennis and pickleball courts, I’m happy with the public’s compliance to the guidelines and consideration of others as they use our facilities.”
Kozak, also the city’s director of recreation and facilities, said people’s general compliance with rules is “great news” and will be “a significant factor in determining future re-opening opportunities.”
Playgrounds weren’t disinfected before reopening, and Kozak said there are no plans to do so “beyond normal practice.”
Meanwhile, about 800 students returned to classes Monday at schools across School District 67.
“Our first day back in SD 67 went well,” acting superintendent Todd Manuel said in an email.
“District staff were able to get into a number of schools to connect with teachers and students, and it was good to see students back in our hallways, playgrounds and schools.”
Manuel said staff has taken some “thoughtful approaches” to welcoming back students safely, and will be monitoring attendance carefully to ensure school density targets aren’t exceeded. He also singled out custodians for their contributions to getting schools running again.
Kevin Epp, president of the Okanagan Skaha Teachers’ Union, said in an email the majority of his members are returning to in-class instruction, and the few that aren’t have some a health condition or some other risk factor ruling them out.
“There are concerns,” he added. “Distancing with elementary-aged students is impossible (or) very difficult with 12, 13 or more of them in a room. In some rare cases teachers are concerned that parents may expect them to keep the children distanced, but that cannot happen.”
Epp said many teachers are also “disappointed” that they haven’t been provided personal protective equipment.
School restart plans call for part-time, voluntary student attendance, with a gradual return to full-time instruction that will start in the youngest grades first. There’s no timeline for how long that will take. As of right now, high school students may attend just once a week.