Mayor Sylvester Turner has announced the closure of all Houston Parks and Recreation Department parks and trails for the Easter holiday weekend. The closures begin on Thursday, April 9th at sundown. The decision was made in the interest of public safety to help slow the spread of COVID-19 during one of the busiest times of the year for City parks. Urban Park Rangers and Houston Police will patrol City parks all weekend to monitor compliance.
"I know the Easter weekend is traditionally a time when families flood our parks for barbecues and Easter egg hunts. This year, I am asking everyone to stay at home and continue social distancing," Mayor Sylvester Turner said. "I desired to keep city parks open for the holiday, but we had 615 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, along with two additional deaths. We must do everything possible and work together to blunt the progression of COVID-19."
City parks and trails will reopen on Monday, April 13th at sunrise. However, all park playgrounds, basketball courts, exercise equipment, skateparks, water playgrounds, as well as City-owned golf courses, driving ranges, the Memorial Park Tennis Center, Lee LeClear Tennis Center, and the Homer Ford Tennis Center at MacGregor Park will remain closed until further notice. Neighborhood tennis centers will reopen on Monday morning. The Parks Department's Curbside Meal Distribution program will still take place on Friday at its regular time of 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 49 community centers.
Once parks and trails reopen on Monday, visitors are urged to continue following CDC guidelines on personal hygiene prior to heading to City parks. This includes washing hands, carrying hand sanitizer, covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing, and staying home if you are feeling ill. For more in information visit www.houstonparks.org.
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