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So why were public outdoor areas like skate parks filled with sand to “promote social distancing”?[1] Or parking lots at beaches and state parks closed “to curb

So why were public outdoor areas like skate parks filled with sand to “promote social distancing”?[1] Or parking lots at beaches and state parks closed “to curb the spread of coronavirus”?[2] [1]: https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/coronavirus-san-clemente-skatepark-37-tons-sand-social-distancing/ https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/coronavirus-san-clem... [2]: https://calmatters.org/health/coronavirus/2020/03/coronavirus-california-state-parks-beaches-parking-lots-closed-gavin-newsom/ https://calmatters.org/health/coronavirus/2020/03/coronaviru...

ceejayoz 5mo ago
> So why were public outdoor areas like skate parks filled with sand to “promote social distancing”? Because we didn't know better yet. Note the date; April 17, 2020; just a couple weeks in. Restrictions on outdoor activities were rapidly lifted once we got a handle on how spread happened.
- embeng4096 5mo ago
  LA County Parks is implementing following changes effective November 30, 2020: All playgrounds will be closed. Fitness zones and exercise equipment will be closed. Parks and trails remain open for outdoor, passive use for individuals or members of the same household. Masks and physical distancing are required. No group gatherings are permitted https://covid19.lacounty.gov/covid19-2-2/closures/ https://covid19.lacounty.gov/covid19-2-2/closures/ Emphasis mine Edit: and for reference, because I do think you have a point, the George Floyd protests started months before November 2020.
  - ceejayoz 5mo ago
    So LA was being a bit dumb. See also: Schools wiping surfaces instead of opening windows.
    - embeng4096 5mo ago
      NYC playgrounds closed until July 2020 (a time concurrent with ongoing protests): https://data.cityofnewyork.us/dataset/Parks-Closure-Status-Due-to-COVID-19-Playgrounds/a4qt-mpr5/data_preview https://data.cityofnewyork.us/dataset/Parks-Closure-Status-D... Washington state continues to close park/trail facilities through July 2021: https://www.wta.org/go-outside/social-distancing-hiking-in-the-time-of-coronavirus https://www.wta.org/go-outside/social-distancing-hiking-in-t... I agree with you that some protocols were dumb. Schools should have opened windows, or added UV-C lights, or replaced high-traffic surfaces like doorknobs in large common areas with antiviral materiel, added foot-use mechanisms for opening doors, and so on. Or, if it was too expensive for any of that, asked cleaning staff to spend more time on high-transmission areas like bathroom faucets and doorknobs even if it meant less time elsewhere. But I think there's something more than just outdoor vs indoor going on.

ceejayoz 5mo ago

> So why were public outdoor areas like skate parks filled with sand to “promote social distancing”? Because we didn't know better yet. Note the date; April 17, 2020; just a couple weeks in. Restrictions on outdoor activities were rapidly lifted once we got a handle on how spread happened.

embeng4096 5mo ago
LA County Parks is implementing following changes effective November 30, 2020: All playgrounds will be closed. Fitness zones and exercise equipment will be closed. Parks and trails remain open for outdoor, passive use for individuals or members of the same household. Masks and physical distancing are required. No group gatherings are permitted https://covid19.lacounty.gov/covid19-2-2/closures/ https://covid19.lacounty.gov/covid19-2-2/closures/ Emphasis mine Edit: and for reference, because I do think you have a point, the George Floyd protests started months before November 2020.
- ceejayoz 5mo ago
  So LA was being a bit dumb. See also: Schools wiping surfaces instead of opening windows.
  - embeng4096 5mo ago
    NYC playgrounds closed until July 2020 (a time concurrent with ongoing protests): https://data.cityofnewyork.us/dataset/Parks-Closure-Status-Due-to-COVID-19-Playgrounds/a4qt-mpr5/data_preview https://data.cityofnewyork.us/dataset/Parks-Closure-Status-D... Washington state continues to close park/trail facilities through July 2021: https://www.wta.org/go-outside/social-distancing-hiking-in-the-time-of-coronavirus https://www.wta.org/go-outside/social-distancing-hiking-in-t... I agree with you that some protocols were dumb. Schools should have opened windows, or added UV-C lights, or replaced high-traffic surfaces like doorknobs in large common areas with antiviral materiel, added foot-use mechanisms for opening doors, and so on. Or, if it was too expensive for any of that, asked cleaning staff to spend more time on high-transmission areas like bathroom faucets and doorknobs even if it meant less time elsewhere. But I think there's something more than just outdoor vs indoor going on.