School divisions shut down playgrounds to slow spread of COVID-19

Signs warning children not to use playground equipment are going up across Manitoba, as school divisions take steps to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The move follows a request from the Manitoba School Board Association that they close play structuresduring the global pandemic of the coronavirus.

"It's a really responsible move to take, because the equipment that we have in our playgrounds is a very high-touch area," said Radean Carter, chief information officer with the Winnipeg School Division.

"It's also a gathering place. You can't really play in a play structure and maintain that good physical distance that's being recommended by the chief medical officer."

The Winnipeg School Division started hanging signs and removing swings at its 89 playgrounds Tuesday morning, Carter said.

Latest local news:

Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba's chief public health officer, has instructed people to stay home as much as possible and maintain a two-metre distance from others while in public.

Carter said she hopes parents and families abide by the closures.

"We're really relying on parents to help to enforce this," she said.

'Natural extension' of school closures: MBSA

The directions to school divisions from the Manitoba School Boards Association has been that all playgrounds and play structures on public school property should be closed as quickly as possible, in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Other school divisions posting playground closures include Winnipeg's Pembina Trails School Division and River East Transcona School Division.

Brian O'Leary, superintendent of the Seven Oaks School Division, said in a text Tuesday morning that the division will post caution signs on its playgroundsbut can't police a closure.

Outside of Winnipeg, Brandon School Division and Interlake School Division also have posted closures.

Playground closures are a "natural extension" of school closures already in place across the province, said Alan Campbell, president of the Manitoba School Boards Association.

Manitoba schools are closed to students as of this week. Right now, the closure is slated to last until April 13.

Campbell said the playground closure likely will lastat least that long, and possibly longer.

"The thought process, I think, for school boardsis it doesn't make any sense to havean area on a public school property or any playground, for that matterwhere parents can sit together on a bench in relatively close proximityand watch their kids play together in very close proximity, on whatever the equipment is," he said.

"That's all the opposite of what we're trying to achieve here with social distancing or physical distancing."

National roundup: