SF Playgrounds Reopen For Kids! (With Lots Of Restrictions)

Image: Tenderloin Community Benefit District via Instagram

San Francisco is taking baby steps toward (hopefully) fully reopening, and we hope this one doesn’t seesaw back. Playgrounds all over the city are open again, according to the San Francisco Examiner, as SF remains in the pretty good ‘Orange Tier’ of coronavirus infection rates.  

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The wait is finally over! Playgrounds are open with new capacity limits and other safety guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Before you visit one of San Francisco's 180+ public playgrounds, here’s what you should know. In compliance with State regulations: -Playground visits must be limited to 30 minutes when others are present. -Visitors of all ages must stay 6 feet away from non-household members and everyone 2 and older must wear masks. -To maximize the number of children who can play, only one adult may accompany each child. -Eating and drinking are not allowed, and visitors should clean their hands before and after playing. -Adults must actively supervise children at all times and avoid non-essential cell phone use. -Children younger than 2 must remain within arm’s reach of a caregiver and are not allowed on play structures that hold more than one child at a time. Help stop the spread of COVID-19 and #PlaySafe . . . . #play #playgrounds #sfparks #cityparks #sf #sanfrancisco #sfrpd #sfrecpark #playstructure #sfplaygrounds #covid19 #socialdistancing #6feetapart #sixfeetapart #wearamask #washyourhands #parksandrec #parksandrecreation

A post shared by sfrecpark (@sfrecpark) on Oct 14, 2020 at 8:54am PDT

There are still plenty of restrictions. Only one adult can accompany each child, as Rec and Parks explains above. Kids older than 2 still have to wear masks, and any kids who don’t live in the same household must still distance at least six feet apart. They can’t share toys, and have to wash their hands (hand-washing stations will be provided for parks without bathrooms), and food and drinks are not permitted in the playground areas.

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What a beautiful day! We are happy to celebrate playgrounds reopening in San Francisco. Thank you to all who made this possible! @londonbreed @ahshasafai @sfparksalliance @kaboom @kpmedschool and all of our community advocates and groups! Share your excitement by tagging us in your playground photos and videos. You may even get featured! #play #playgrounds #sf #sanfrancisco #sfrpd #sfrecpark #bayarea #sfparks #city #cityparks #londonbreed #playstructures #playsafe #wearamask #socialdistancing #sixfeetapart #6feetapart #washyourhands

A post shared by sfrecpark (@sfrecpark) on Oct 14, 2020 at 12:39pm PDT

“We know kids and parents have been missing playgrounds since the end of March, and I’m excited that we’re now at a place where we can safely reopen them,” mayor London Breed said in a statement. “It’s important kids have a place to explore, have fun, and get some outdoor exercise. We hope this brings families and kids some joy during an otherwise challenging time.”

The Examiner also reports that “Parents are also advised to take a child who starts crying out of the playground to console them since crying can emit a high volume of respiratory droplets.” I’m not a parent, but to me, that is just hilarious.

And sorry, racist Karen playground lady, adults still cannot enter the playground area unless they are directly tending to a child.

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