ODESSA, Texas — The City of Odessa has announced all the aquatic centers, swimming pools and spraygrounds will be closed for the summer 2020 season.
This decision was made based on the current social distancing requirements for COVID-19 safety. These facilities receive thousands of visitors any given day, making social distancing extremely hard to practice.
City officials say the decision was not made lightly but was done with the safety of citizens in mind.
"This new normal we find ourselves in has been difficult to navigate, and so many of our events and traditions have had to be put on hold while the protection of our citizens takes first priority."
While the virus may make it possible for pools across the country to open in the future, the city usually uses contracts to ensure the pools are up to safety standards.
The city says it decided not to award any 2020 contracts for the pools because it wasn't sure how long COVID-19 would be a threat to the community.
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