PORTLAND, Ore — For many, on a hot day, a closed neighborhood pool is a sad sight to see.
Portland pools will stay closed through at least September, not necessarily because of COVID-19 concerns now, but because of what happened back in March, when the virus forced city centers and programs to shut down.
"What COVID-19 has done is exposed our flawed funding model," explained Portland Parks & Recreation spokesman Mark Ross. "We have to earn a significant amount of our revenue through fees, and when we had to close centers and pools in March that meant we couldn't take in any more fees and that we couldn't hire summer staff."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no evidence COVID-19 can spread through water in pools, hot tubs, spas or water play areas. The chemicals put in that water, such as chlorine, inactivate the virus.
It's more about the crowds.
"Splash pads are also closed at the direction of health authorities to prevent crowding," said Ross.
But there's always the natural waterways. For example Klineline Pond in Salmon Creek is open for swimmers.
But that raises the question: What about the safety of ponds, lakes and rivers when it comes to COVID-19?
According to scientists, similar coronaviruses have been shown to survive in fresh water, at least temporarily.
But experts say in a large body of water it would not pose a risk because it would be diluted.
The bottom line: It's not the water that poses the risk, it's the people.
And if there's a lot of them seeking relief on a hot day, that could be risky.