HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Much of the discussion during the COVID-19 task force meeting on Monday centered more around recreation than business openings. That discussion circled back around to Tuesday’s County Commission meeting. Health Department Director Nick Baldetti explained the issue of using outdoor recreational facilities and the regulations behind them.
“There’s been some discussion around the use of public facilities and, in particular, recreational activity associated with organized versus non-organized sporting activities,” Baldetti noted. “It was released in a frequently asked document by the governor’s office in regard to explicitly stating that organized sporting activities, much like practice, is restricted under phase one of the governor’s plan.”
Baldetti said the state’s ruling prevents any type of organized practices such as summer baseball and softball, but still lets gatherings of 10 or fewer use facilities.
“Non-organized recreational activity may be allowed at public and private outdoor parks if practicing appropriate social distancing,” Baldetti said. “Groups of more than 10 who cannot accommodate six feet of distancing are not allowed to congregate.”
The commission agreed that there are sports like tennis and such that should be able to have organized activities due to the natural distance between competitors and lack of physical contact in them. District Attorney Keith Schroeder stated that what the governor restricted in phase one and what came out in an interpretation of that ruling were not the same:
“Certain sports are different than other sport,” Schroeder said. “If you’re playing basketball, you’re in very close contact with each other the entire time. The group goes from one end of the court to the other end in close contact. Baseball and tennis, you’re always generally going to be six feet apart.”
Schroeder added that he just couldn’t see the need for limitations on practice. All such practices are prohibited under phase one restrictions by the state until at least May 18.