The City of Yakima’s dog park at Randall Park re-opens to the public today, Friday, August 28th, for the first time since COVID-19 restrictions went into effect in March.
The re-opening is possible because effective yesterday, Thursday, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) approved small, outdoor gatherings of five people or less from outside the household, with six feet of separation, as part of Yakima County’s modified Phase 1 “Roadmap to Recovery” plan.
The following social distancing protocols will be required at the dog park:
- Wear a mask, except for children under age 2
- Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- Use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol and rub hands together until dry, if soap and water are not readily available.
- Stay home if you are sick.
- If you are sick with or tested positive for COVID-19, were recently exposed (within 14 days) to someone with COVID-19, or just don’t feel well, do not visit public areas including parks or recreational facilities.
- Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet away from people who are not in your household.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a disposable tissue, or cough and sneeze into the elbow rather than hands. Throw tissues away after use. Wash or sanitize hands after coughing or sneezing
All dog park facilities will be washed with a pressure washer using hot water and soap prior to opening.
“We ask all dog park visitors to follow the protocols in order to be allowed to keep our dog park open,” said Parks and Recreation Manager Ken Wilkinson. “We ask for the community’s patience and cooperation as we go through this period of time together.”
Click https://yakimaparks.com/ for more about City parks and recreation programs.
Yakima County moved to a modified Phase 1 of the state’s Safe Start program on July 3rd thanks to efforts by county residents to wear masks when in public. The City is helping to lead this effort through the “Mask up to open up” campaign. More information is available at https://www.yakimawa.gov/covid19/