WINDSOR, ONT. -- The current stay at home order and May heat wave has meant an earlier pool season, which means for many children it’s the first time they’ll be in the water in quite some time.
“We stopped running swimming lessons at the beginning of the pandemic so that would’ve been March of 2020,” says Jennifer Knights, manager at The Windsor International Aquatic and Training Centre.
When programs can resume, they are likely to start with only parents in the water.
“So they won’t take the place of the instructor but they’ll be the one that’s in close proximity to their child. So kind of like creating a family bubble or family grouping,” says Knights.
There could also be private lessons, one on one with an instructor.
“Two children from the same family with that same instructor and then certainly maintaining physical distancing wherever possible,” says Knights.
Swimming is one of the activities still allowed while social distancing.
“We do have a lot of people with backyard pools and we are in close proximity to large bodies of water including the river and the lakes in the area.”
Knights says most parents have their children in one or two sessions per year.
“And then hopefully consider taking our leadership courses and go on to become lifeguards and instructors at one of our city pools or Adventure Bay.”
Expect standard COVID-19 protocols to remain in place at indoor swimming facilities.
“Most of our screenings involve temperature checks and the 3 or 4 questions that pertain to Covid and then it’s being physically distanced. Masks,” says Dean Boles or Swimming Ontario.
Fire Prevention Officer John Lee is reminding the public to keep a close watch on kids, in and around the pool as families begin to spend more time by the water.
“For us, the big thing is chemical storage and safety of storage chemicals. Out of reach for kids for sure.”
