Families & Governments Gage Comfort Zones for Park Reopenings

With word that playgrounds are okay to reopen in the area, some residents have questions about just how safe a turn on the monkey-bars really is.

Broome County Executive Jason Garnar says while the playgrounds are open, don't expect an army of County workers to be swarming the facilities with sanitizing wipes and sprays.

The County Executive says local health officials have said the likelihood of the spread of the coronavirus on surfaces like swings and slides seems very low, so it will be up to families to decide how safe they feel allowing children to use the equipment.  Caregivers should educate children about why masks are being worn and how to social distance and still have fun.

While Garnar’s lifting of his emergency order allows county facilities to reopen, it does not mean playgrounds and other facilities operated by municipalities will follow suit.

Garnar says he’s leaving it up to the City, Towns and Villages if they want to open their swimming pools, splash parks, playgrounds and carousels and to set their rules following the Centers for Disease Control and health department guidelines.  That leaves favorites like the historic carousels in limbo for reopening at least for now.