Summer pool rules

[Anonymous]

PP, sounds like we are at the same pool or pools with similar processes. Our board will most certainly change its stance as soon as the governor does, but we have a lot of members who are demanding all things return to normal immediately and are being unpleasantly strident. Their comments also make it clear that they would not self-comply with the distancing requirements or make their kids do so. The board knows therefore that there is no way compliance will happen. We also have members who are pot-stirrers who will make a scene if members don't self police and social distance, so if the board decides to open as normal then you end up with ugliness on the pool grounds and with the manager and board.

[Anonymous]

Where are you? Ours says it is still waiting on guidance from the state and county and until they hear otherwise assume the restrictions will be the same as last year.


This is our Virginia pool for now. It appears that pools are falling into two camps. One is to open under the capacity restrictions and leave it to members to self-enforce the distancing requirement, which really ends up being wink and nod that they are going to ignore the current regulation. Other pools are being more risk averse and ensuring they stay in compliance with the governor's mandates, as stupid and outdated as those mandates are.

I know our pool board isn't happy to keep the restrictions in place but also doesn't want to pit members against member in the whole self-policing concept.


There will be no enforcement of the rules by the state of the county. So pools have to figure it all out. But the numbers should be low and the environment is a low spread. There is a chance the governor will loosen restrictions mid-May.

This is our pool too, and I am super annoyed. We only joined three years ago because my son's best friend is also a member. They are part of our pod, and we are at each others houses (vaccinated parents, kids not eligible yet). However, currently, my son could not even be in the same section of the outdoor pool with his friend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our pool seems to have lifted all the restrictions that were in place last summer and the max capacity allowed is high enough that they are doing away with the reservation system since even in normal times there would be less than the capacity number at the pool. They are still awaiting guidance on whether masks will be required.

Why aren't they going with the guidance that is in place now and then changing as the guidance changes?

We are in VA. We are not doing reservations. Seating areas will be set up 6' apart. Swimmers will be asked to maintain 10' from people in different households, but the responsibility for doing so will be on the swimmers. Masks will be worn when entering and leaving through the guard house and using the restroom. Prior to entering, members will be screened by being asked the required Covid questions. We are capping our capacity at 75% but rarely is our pool at even 33% which would be 52 people and thus part of the reason we feel we won't need to reserve time. A time at 50% is actually a very busy time for us and we don't hit that unless we are having a special event and for those we will have reservations. We are planning on allowing our pavilion to be reserved by a small group up to a certain number and that number will be pretty low.

I am not sure, but this is in MoCo, so perhaps they are waiting to see if the county hits the 50% threshold of fully vaccinated people before Memorial Day, because at that point the county reverts to state guidelines which is masks not necessary outside. Probably a lot easier to just start with no masks required if allowed, rather than masks required at first and then after a couple weeks no masks required.

[Anonymous]

In VA. Our pool is opening next week. Only have to wear a mask to check in and use the restrooms/showers. Our snack bar will even be open this summer (just no hot food). It's on you to stay so many feet away from non family (or people you didn't come with). They are even allowing guests this year. Almost back to normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Where are you? Ours says it is still waiting on guidance from the state and county and until they hear otherwise assume the restrictions will be the same as last year.


This is our Virginia pool for now. It appears that pools are falling into two camps. One is to open under the capacity restrictions and leave it to members to self-enforce the distancing requirement, which really ends up being wink and nod that they are going to ignore the current regulation. Other pools are being more risk averse and ensuring they stay in compliance with the governor's mandates, as stupid and outdated as those mandates are.

I know our pool board isn't happy to keep the restrictions in place but also doesn't want to pit members against member in the whole self-policing concept.


There will be no enforcement of the rules by the state of the county. So pools have to figure it all out. But the numbers should be low and the environment is a low spread. There is a chance the governor will loosen restrictions mid-May.

This is our pool too, and I am super annoyed. We only joined three years ago because my son's best friend is also a member. They are part of our pod, and we are at each others houses (vaccinated parents, kids not eligible yet). However, currently, my son could not even be in the same section of the outdoor pool with his friend.

Well...most of the kids (and guards) at our pool are friends and run around together outside maskless all the time. So it’s just stupid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In VA. Our pool is opening next week. Only have to wear a mask to check in and use the restrooms/showers. Our snack bar will even be open this summer (just no hot food). It's on you to stay so many feet away from non family (or people you didn't come with). They are even allowing guests this year. Almost back to normal.

13:14 here. Those are the only places you have to wear masks. Where else would you wear them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In VA. Our pool is opening next week. Only have to wear a mask to check in and use the restrooms/showers. Our snack bar will even be open this summer (just no hot food). It's on you to stay so many feet away from non family (or people you didn't come with). They are even allowing guests this year. Almost back to normal.

13:14 here. Those are the only places you have to wear masks. Where else would you wear them?

DP Last summer we had to wear them all the way to our table. but not to walk from table to get into pool because that would have required too much common sense.

[Anonymous]

Our pool in MoCo opened at the weekend with the same rules as at the end of last summer

Max capacity of 75 people, online reservations, masks unless swimming, snack bar closed.

So dumb,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our pool in MoCo opened at the weekend with the same rules as at the end of last summer

Max capacity of 75 people, online reservations, masks unless swimming, snack bar closed.

So dumb,

That’s brutal. I can honestly say we were completely surprised that our pool is operating much the way it did pre-Covid this summer. We are thrilled but we thought being in MoCo that we would be operating the same way we did last summer. Hopefully things will loosen up for you as the summer goes on. The county getting to that 50% of people fully vaxxed mark should allow all pools in the county to have a lot fewer restrictions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In VA. Our pool is opening next week. Only have to wear a mask to check in and use the restrooms/showers. Our snack bar will even be open this summer (just no hot food). It's on you to stay so many feet away from non family (or people you didn't come with). They are even allowing guests this year. Almost back to normal.

13:14 here. Those are the only places you have to wear masks. Where else would you wear them?

Last year we had to wear them walking around, leaving, talking to people - anytime you left your table unless you were immediately going in the water. This year - just at checkin and when you go in the building to use the restroom. Our restrooms and showers were closed last year.

[Anonymous]

It’s interesting that the NoVA Parks water parks are referring to the 10 ft as a “standard” and then they explicitly say on their website that guards won’t be enforcing it. Those are the public pools jointly run by Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria counties. So obviously they aren’t worried about their own health departments shutting things down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s interesting that the NoVA Parks water parks are referring to the 10 ft as a “standard” and then they explicitly say on their website that guards won’t be enforcing it. Those are the public pools jointly run by Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria counties. So obviously they aren’t worried about their own health departments shutting things down.

Hmm might need to send this to my pool board who is insisting that we have to do reservations as long as the 10 ft rule is in place. When in reality they could totally just do 75% capacity and ask people to stay 10 ft apart and all would be fine. Except for the crazies who think an outdoor pool is a large crowd and want all of us to have zero fun outdoors until their children are vaccinated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s interesting that the NoVA Parks water parks are referring to the 10 ft as a “standard” and then they explicitly say on their website that guards won’t be enforcing it. Those are the public pools jointly run by Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria counties. So obviously they aren’t worried about their own health departments shutting things down.

Hmm might need to send this to my pool board who is insisting that we have to do reservations as long as the 10 ft rule is in place. When in reality they could totally just do 75% capacity and ask people to stay 10 ft apart and all would be fine. Except for the crazies who think an outdoor pool is a large crowd and want all of us to have zero fun outdoors until their children are vaccinated.

Just curious. What classifies a group or crowd as “large”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s interesting that the NoVA Parks water parks are referring to the 10 ft as a “standard” and then they explicitly say on their website that guards won’t be enforcing it. Those are the public pools jointly run by Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria counties. So obviously they aren’t worried about their own health departments shutting things down.

Hmm might need to send this to my pool board who is insisting that we have to do reservations as long as the 10 ft rule is in place. When in reality they could totally just do 75% capacity and ask people to stay 10 ft apart and all would be fine. Except for the crazies who think an outdoor pool is a large crowd and want all of us to have zero fun outdoors until their children are vaccinated.

We go to Dominion Hills in Arlington, which is exactly 1/2 mile from the NoVA Upton Hills Water Park. Our pool board is insisting on opening with all the rules in place from last summer (families separated into squares, reservation only, bathrooms closed, no food, masks at all times on deck, etc.). They are hiding behind the 10 ft rule and saying that our 500 member families are not capable of self-policing in the water. Meanwhile, NoVA Parks is okay with running a public pool with different random people showing up every day with no reservations and no roped off sections. It looks like vaccinated guests aren't even required to wear masks. https://www.novaparks.com/waterparks/ocean-dunes-waterpark

[Anonymous]

That site for Ocean Dunes says “ To protect the health and safety of our employees and guests, we follow Social Distancing Standards recommended by the Center for Disease Control. These standards will be strictly enforced.” So, it would seem they WILL police the six feet rule.