Deerfield Park District issued the following announcement on Oct. 22.
The skatepark at Jewett Park is currently closed. When the renovated park originally opened in the summer, the popularity of the facility drew considerable crowds. As the crowds grew, the inability to properly social distance decreased, so the park district started requiring all skatepark visitors to wear face coverings as an additional measure of protection from COVID.
Park district staff and local police worked together on trying to educate visitors about the importance of wearing masks while in the skatepark. There was limited compliance. Consequently, the skatepark was closed.
After recently re-opening the skatepark, park district staff and local police continued to work with visitors to educate them about the importance of wearing face coverings. Tracking compliance percentages were performed and the average was 50% compliance.
As COVID numbers jumped in Region 9 over the last few weeks to a positivity rate of 7.7% and the case count of Deerfield COVID cases grew to 260-264, (up over 20% from the previous week), the decision to close the skatepark was made. The park district understands that the skatepark is an enjoyed amenity, and we will work towards a solution to reopen the skatepark as soon as possible.
Original source can be found here.
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