Pools Open, Closed For Memorial Day Swimming In Anne Arundel

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Memorial Day doesn’t just mark the unofficial start of summer in Anne Arundel County — it’s also the weekend most outdoor pools and aquatic centers open their doors for summer swimming and other warm-weather fun.

Last year, summer looked a lot different for families as many area pools remained closed for the season to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus — a pandemic that, at the time, was just two months old.

But this Memorial Day — with more than 120 million Americans fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and weekly COVID-19-related deaths at a 14-month low — many pools will once again open this summer.

If you’re planning to soak up some sun this Memorial Day weekend, here are the pools and aquatic centers that will be open in Anne Arundel County:

• Nantucket Pool, 2301 Nantucket Drive, Crofton
• Wellfleet Pool, 3000 Nantucket Drive, Crofton
• Laurel Municipal Swimming Pool, 9th Street & Main Street, Laurel
• The Y in Pasadena, 26 Magothy Beach Rd., Pasadena
• Kenneth R. Dunn Municipal Pool at Truxtun Park, 251 Pump House Road, Annapolis
• Hillsmere Community Pool, 100 Phipps Ln., Annapolis
• Greenview Drive Pool Complex, 14403 Greenview Drive, Laurel

There is no scientific evidence that COVID-19 can spread to others through water in pools, hot tubs, water playgrounds or other treated aquatic venues, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.

While no data exists on how COVID-19 responds to chlorine, the chemical has been known to inactivate similar viruses.

But going to a public pool involves more than swimming, and that’s where the risk can be found.

Assessing that out-of-water risk involves looking at several variables, according to MIT Medical, which suggest people should avoid the “three C’s” — closed spaces with poor ventilation, crowded places with many people nearby, and close-contact settings, such as close-range conversation.

Fortunately, being outdoors and in spaces with good ventilation also reduces the risk of exposure to the coronavirus, according to the CDC.