We know this from the National Security Council: the pools will be able to reopen on July 1. What we did not know was the conditions under which this reopening could take place. The protocol is now known and operators can therefore organize themselves.
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Swimmers will also be happy to learn the conditions under which they can find their long-awaited pool. With the first good news: the number of swimmers remains limited to the usual instantaneous maximum attendance. No additional limitation therefore. On the other hand, a reservation system will be provided “in particular to avoid static gatherings outside or inside the infrastructure”, underlines the protocol.
Concretely, the arrival at the swimming pool will be done according to rules that we know well, since applied in other areas. If the doors are not automatic, they should, as far as possible, remain open to prevent everyone from touching them. Safety distances will always apply, and an arrow will organize the entry and exit circuits. Electronic or contactless payment will be preferred.
Good news also: swimmers should not arrive with the jersey on their backs, as some envisioned, since it is recommended to open the changing rooms. Collectives will also be open to accommodate bubbles of up to 50 people. Ideally, swimmers should use the same changing room on arrival and return, with no passage between these two moments. “If the infrastructure does not allow the swimmer to keep the same individual changing room for the duration of his visit to the pool, the manager ensures disinfection of the changing rooms continuously,” specifies the protocol.
Another big unknown was about the showers. We told you a few days ago that it would be difficult to do without it, especially since it is notably a legal obligation in Wallonia. The showers will therefore be open and the passage compulsory before entering the pool. On the other hand, to respect distances, certain showers (one out of two for example) could be condemned. Another possibility is to “partition showers, for example with light plexi walls”.
Once in the pool, swimmers can stay there for up to 60 minutes, making sure to keep a distance of 1.5 meters between them. It is also asked to avoid too long stops with several at the edge of the basin or on the beaches.
During the confirmation of the reopening of the pools on July 1, the Minister of Sports Valérie Glatigny was delighted with the news: “The reopening of the pools on July 1 is excellent news. It was awaited by swimmers, who were in a hurry to be able to practice their favorite sport, and by operators, for whom the closure was a difficult period. Of course, specific rules will have to be respected, in order to guarantee that this reopening takes place in compliance with the sanitary measures in force. “
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