City of Des Moines, Iowa COVID-19 Response in Des Moines, 19 Mar 2020

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From YouTube: COVID-19: Parks & Recreation Update

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View all updates regarding the impact of COVID-19 on City services at DSM.city/covid19.

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https://amara.org/v/C0ssg/

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The city of des moines parks and recreation takes its responsibilities to.

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Heart we've looked at all the different declarations have come down through the.

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Mayor the governor and even the president, we've also used the cdc.

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Guidelines for large gatherings and festivals, events, we sat down with our.

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Team right away, we said anything, that's gonna be above ten. People has to start.

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To be canceled postponed or rescheduled, so we started there. We wanted to make.

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Sure everybody understands the public safety becomes number one. It always does.

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As well as our staff safety, so the first things we did were we canceled large.

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Events and I'll break it down into the groups of things that we've canceled so.

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First and foremost, our sports complexes are canceled until may 11th.

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Those lend themselves to large gathering spaces that we just can't control how.

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Many people come and visit those folks. Next, we canceled all trail permits for.

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Large events, like fundraising events on our trails, that does not mean that.

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Trails are closed for public use. If you go out and you use the trails we want.

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You to use the trails but keep in mind the cdc's great guidelines of the.

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Six-Foot social spacing making sure you're washing your hands before you go.

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Out and use these trails and making sure you just if you have any exposure to.

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Anything not to use our parks and trails. You will notice that the public.

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Restrooms and parks and trails facilities are closed and that's by design to.

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Keep the public safe as well. We just can't keep up with the load and making.

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Sure our staff has enough time and resources to sanitize after each operation that happens in the restroom., so we will be closing those down to make.

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Sure we can keep up with that as well as it's hard to keep up with a supply and.

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Demand for those type of resources, toilet paper, sanitizing chemicals- we.

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Want to make sure those are available to the public for their own personal home use. We don't want to further complicate the access to those type of materials, so.

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Restrooms are closed until 5/11. Next we looked at our enclosed shelters.

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And unfortunately, understand people had life events like wedding celebrations.

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And baby showers and family reunions, but again there's no way to control those to.

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Keep them safe for the public. All events have been canceled. Those facilities are.

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Closed and they're getting a deep cleaning, as we speak, also open air.

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Shelters, those folks are also been canceled. All those life events have.

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Been canceled again, not because the city wanted to be punitive, we need to take.

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Appropriate steps to ensure safety, next, all of our recreation, community, centers.

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Are canceled four-mile, community recreation center.

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Columbus community recreation center and the martin luther king jr. facility are.

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All canceled, we have a mix of folks that use that throughout the day we have.

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Senior meal sites there we have youth and adults there. It wasn't.

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Appropriate or even safe for us to keep those open, those will be canceled and.

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Closed until may 11th any recreation program that was scheduled or in.

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Progress have all been canceled, there's just no good way to reschedule those.

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Because the next round of events and programs are gonna start here with.

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Swimming lessons and soccer and all those things will come right behind them.

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There's just no space in the gyms to keep that overlap, so everybody's been.

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Notified, whether you signed up on our active email list or you've used social.

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Media or we actually are calling you as individuals as well, you will get all.

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Your money back we'll make arrangements, but everything that we do for large gatherings has been cancelled through.

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May 11th all these dates come to may 11th the 8 week, standards that have.

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Been put out by the declarations, if that gets reviewed and it gets opened up.

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Earlier we'll reassess,, it also could be quite possible that that gets extended.

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We're working with everybody, one of the things I think, is great about our city.

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Is that we are gonna refund everybody's money, 100%, no administrative fees, so you.

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Will get your money back in about two weeks or less? Hopefully we want to thank.

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The public for their patience during this tough time. We know that everybody is just wanting to get back to their normal lives, especially when it comes to recreation. Whether you participate in one of our softball leagues,, going to captain.

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Roy's on our trails, understand that we wanted to open them and just as badly as.

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You want that open them, so please respect the rules and help us protect.

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Your safety, while we follow through this declaration of keeping our public.

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Facilities closed through 5/11 for larger gatherings.