Guidance for Pools and Aquatic Centers in the City of St. Louis

On Monday, June 1^st, some pools in the City of St. Louis will be able to safely reopen, only if the below protocols and safety procedures are in place. The purpose of this guidance is to protect the health and wellbeing of pool-goers in the City of St. Louis.

• This guidance refers to pools that are located in residential buildings, apartment complexes, condominiums/townhomes, neighborhood associations, hotels/motels, etc.,
  • City-operated pools are still closed at this time.

Safety Actions

• Ensure social distancing
  • Ensure that pool-goers maintain six feet of social distancing from one another
    • Remove pool/pool deck furniture that allows for gatherings larger than 10 people (removing excess beach chairs, tables, etc.)
• Promote healthy hygiene practices
  • Masks must be worn at all times, except for when swimming in the water
  • how to stop the spread of COVID-19, properly wash hands, promote everyday protective measures,  and properly use a face covering in highly visible locations (for example, at deck entrances and at sinks).
  • Place hand sanitizing stations throughout the pool/pool deck area
• Limit sharing
  • Close all water games and water equipment
    • Including water slides, diving boards, pool volleyball, etc.
• Cleaning and disinfecting
  • Have adequate supplies to support healthy hygiene behaviors, including soap, hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol (for staff and pool-goers), tissues, and waste cans.
  • Clean, sanitize, and disinfect frequently touched surfaces (for example, shared objects, door handles, sink handles, drinking fountains) multiple times per day.

Monitoring and Preparing

• Check for signs and symptoms
  • Establish routine, daily health checks on arrival, such as temperature and health screening of staff
  • Encourage staff to stay home if they are sick
    • Discourage any symptomatic person(s) from entering the pool area
• Plan for when a staff member or visitor becomes sick
  • Notify local health officials, staff, and families immediately of any possible case of COVID-19 while maintaining confidentiality.
  • Close off areas used by any sick person and do not use them until they have been cleaned. Ensure safe and correct application of disinfectants and keep disinfectant products away from children.
  • Advise sick staff members not to return until they are cleared by medical provider (MD, DO, NP, PA).
• Maintain healthy operations
  • Designate a staff person to be responsible for responding to COVID - 19 concerns. Employees should know who this person is and how to contact them.
  • Create a communication system for staff and families for self-reporting of symptoms and notification of exposures and closure.