Davenport pool reopens amid coronavirus restrictions

DAVENPORT — The City Pool reopened last Thursday, offering residents a cool respite as the summer temperatures have arrived. However, opening the facility has included some major challenges for city officials trying to meet state health department expectations.

“It has been pretty much a circus,” said City Clerk Dave Leath. “We tried to get guidance from the state board of health, which was vague, and local officials basically said to do what we were comfortable with.“

Leath said the city opted to try and follow coronavirus prevention guidelines by canceling lessons due to social distancing restrictions. Increased cleaning of the pool and reduced pool capacity will also occur.

“We are scheduling the pool in three two hour sessions and the pool will be disinfected at the end of each session. Since viruses are killed by chlorine and UV light kills the virus on a hot day, the only areas not addressed are the bathrooms and the guard shack,” Leath related.

While bathrooms at the pool will be open, only three people will be allowed in at a time. The pool itself, which has a capacity for 95 people, will be reduced to 34 swimmers.

Despite their best efforts to abide by Covid-19 prevention recommendations, Leath said some items, like the governor’s recent order to have all Washingtonians wear masks was confusing.

“One of the questions we have is ‘Who is in charge of policing this order?’ Do people have to wear masks on the deck and if they don’t, do we ask them to leave? We are just trying to work through it all,” Leath said.

Davenport Pool hours are noon to 2 p.m., 2:30-4:30 p.m. and 5-7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from noon to 6 p.m. with a break from 2:30-3:00 p.m. for disinfection.