NY Cities Can Opt To Open Pools, But Don't Hold Breath For NYC

NEW YORK CITY — New York cities can decide for themselves whether to open public pools, but don't hold your breath for a chlorine-soaked dip in New York City anytime soon, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday.

The decision to reopen swimming pools and playgrounds belongs to local governments now faced with managing the reopening of their regions after the novel coronavirus-spurred shutdown, Cuomo announced.

"But they have to use their judgement here," Cuomo added. "If the positives [COVID-19 cases] are in a cluster, a neighborhood that has that pool, don't open that pool."

This request that local officials "should be studying the test data" means hard-hit areas such as New York City likely won't see pools this month.

Mayor Bill de Blasio estimated Thursday New York City could reach Phase 2 of reopening between June 22 and early July, but said he was not yet prepared for city citizens to swim.

"We're not there yet on beaches or pools," de Blasio said. "We're getting into position so when it is safe enough, we can move quickly."

Beaches such as Coney Island can draw hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers to terrain where it is difficult to patrol and enforce social distancing, de Blasio said. And pools face the opposite problem.

"Pools are more controlled environments," de Blasio said, voicing concerns about crowded locker rooms and snaking lines. "That's a blessing and a curse."

But he assured New Yorkers his team was exploring options such as social distance markers and strict limits on the number of swimmers allowed into city pools.

Said de Blasio, "Every one of us would love to get them back up and running."