We are committed to:
- Operating in accordance with applicable safety guidelines
- Keeping our staff trained with latest available information
- Informing participants of changes in program structure and operations as applicable
Currently, specific measures include:
- Limiting facility access only to participants,
- Reduced facility capacity to ensure physical distancing is practical,
- Limiting access to shared equipment,
- Screening staff and participants for symptoms prior to entering facilities,
- Practicing physical distancing to the extent possible,
- Enforcing frequent hand-washing by everyone,
- Requiring proper wear of masks for all staff and participants (with exceptions due to age or medical reasons),
- Enhanced cleaning routines in place of all commonly used areas, and
- Keeping participants informed of program specific changes.
How you can help:
- Consider your risks involved in group activities. We recommend that high-risk group or vulnerable participants consult with their medical provider to assess their personal risks and determine if attendance in group activities is appropriate. Similarly, participants with high-risk group family members at home, should consider the risk of participating in group activities and potential exposure to the disease.
- Follow all program specific guidance provided. These may include modifications to items you may/may not bring from home, check in/out procedures, specific group meeting area assignments and others.
- It is critical that you do not enter the facilities or attend programs when sick or when under quarantine. The symptoms to monitor for include: fever (100.4F or higher) or a sense of having a fever, new cough or shortness of breath, chills or repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, or new loss of taste or smell.
- Stay informed. District wide updates for the latest status of programs, parks and facilities are provided on our website. As we move through the Safe Start Re-opening phases, changes to guidelines that affect our operations are possible. Visit this website for the latest information.
NEWS: What's Open, What's Closed
GUIDELINES: Visiting Parks, Events and Programs
Please recreate responsibly and follow all the latest guidelines.
Visiting Parks and Trails
Our local parks and trails are open for activities where physical distancing can be maintained. We encourage you to limit travel and visit parks close by your home. Limit your outdoor activities to family outings or groups of 5 or less people outside of your immediate household and maintain 6-foot physical distancing.
Note that organized sports league play and tournaments are suspended at this time.
Use of shared park amenities such as playgrounds, shelters, sports courts and skate parks are limited to no more than 5 individuals at this time unless all are from the same household.
Remind children not to touch their faces and help them use hand sanitizer or wash their hands before and after playing on shared equipment.
Taking personal responsibility for yourself and your family can go a long way toward helping you stay healthy:
- Think First: Stay home if you are sick or have symptoms.
- Wear a Face Covering: In accordance with the Governor's statewide orders, face coverings are required for everyone (ages 5+) inside public buildings. They also are required in outdoor locations whenever a 6-foot social distance cannot be maintained with individuals from other households.
- Keep Your Distance: Maintain 6 feet between yourself and others and give warning before passing on the trail. Please bypass busy areas for quieter ones.
- Bring Hand Sanitizer: Wash your hands before coming to the park, carry hand sanitizer and use it after touching picnic tables, railings, benches, play areas etc.
- Come Prepared: Bring your own drinking water, carry out your trash and be prepared for restroom closures.
Have fun, play safe!
Water Play
As the weather heats up you may want to go to the beach to enjoy the rivers and lakes in our area. Regardless of whether you're enjoying water in a pool, lake or neighborhood sprinkler, it's important to practice both basic COVID-19 and water safety principles:
- Always supervise children in or near water. Stay within arm's reach of young children in water, even if they've had swim lessons. Designate an adult water watcher. Group outings can be the most dangerous (everyone is watching, but no one is watching). Red Cross offers a free online class.
- Wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket while swimming in open water. Be sure that everyone wears properly fitted life jackets if you're boating, paddling, rafting or inner tubing. Children under 12 are required to wear a life jacket in small vessels, and it's a good idea for everyone, especially on rivers where water conditions and hazards change quickly.
- When doing head first entries, check for hazards first (rocks, tree stumps) as well as having adequate water depth.
- Most bodies of water are glacier fed. Watch for signs of hypothermia. Come out of the water if cold.
- Sunscreen - put on at least 20 minutes prior to entering the water. Allow time for it to absorb.
- Empty wading pools, buckets, coolers/ice chests or water tables when not in use.
- Stay home as much as possible. A small wading pool, sprinkler, or even buckets of water can cool you off and be fun for kids.
- If you go out, maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others, both in and out of the water.
- Wear a cloth face covering or mask when not swimming.
- Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often.
- Do not swim at closed beaches. They may be closed for water quality issues or other safety hazards, not just because of COVID-19.
Participating in Programs
Si View Metro Parks is taking all necessary steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and provides information on expectations for all program participants. We are following Washington State Department of Health and CDC guidelines specific to recreation
programs. Specific procedures are subject to change as guidelines are revised. It is important that all participants join in our efforts and follow all safety guidelines as individual actions play a critical role in reducing risk of transmitting the disease.
We understand that family plans may change with little notice due to COVID. With our flexible refund policy in effect through end of 2020, exceptions to the standard refund policy can be made due to a public health emergency, including late withdrawals. Exceptions are made on a case by case basis in situations related to COVID-19. Full refunds are issued for classes cancelled due to low enrollment or emergency closures. Partial refunds are issued for classes cancelled after session start date due to emergency closures. Amount of refund is determined by number of course dates missed.
Participant Expectations
- Consider your risks involved in group activities. We recommend that high-risk group or vulnerable participants consult with their medical provider to assess their personal risks and determine if attendance in group activities is appropriate at this time. Similarly, participants with high-risk group family members at home, should consider the risk of participating in group activities and potential exposure to the disease.
- Follow all program specific guidance provided. These may include items you may/may not bring from home, check in/out procedures, specific group and/or meeting area assignments and others.
- You may not enter the facilities or attend programs when sick or when under quarantine. Health screening must be completed each day prior to entering programs. Anyone with symptoms is sent home.
- Practice good and frequent hand washing hygiene, washing hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
- Practice good personal hygiene and avoid touching the face, eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands. Cover your mouth and nose with disposable tissue or the crease of the elbow when coughing or sneezing. Be sure to properly dispose of used tissue immediately and then wash hands.
- Practice physical distancing to the extent possible keeping a minimum of 6ft distance.
- Face coverings are required for everyone ages 5 and older when indoors, and outdoors when physical distancing is not practical. Masks should not be worn by children under the age of 2, or anyone with an underlying health condition that prevents proper use of mask.
Face Coverings
Face coverings, when combined with 6-foot social distancing, help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community and keep everyone safe and healthy.
Every person in Washington is required to wear a face covering that completely covers the nose and mouth in indoor and outdoor public settings. In accordance with the Governor's statewide orders, face coverings are required for everyone (ages 5+) inside all Si View Metro Parks facilities, and outdoor spaces where 6-foot social distancing cannot be maintained with individuals from other households.
Individuals are required to wear face coverings when they are:
- Inside any public building.
- In outdoor public areas, such as public parks, trails or lines for entry/exit, when they cannot maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet from others outside their household
Individuals may temporarily remove their face coverings under the following conditions:
- While eating or drinking with adequate 6-foot social distancing
- In an outdoor public area with adequate social distancing
- When running, hiking, bicycling, walking or engaged in another exercise activity with 6-foot social distancing
- As part of communication with a deaf or hard of hearing individual
Children under 5 are exempt from the face covering requirement
- Children under 5 are not required to wear face coverings
- Children ages 2, 3 and 4 are strongly encouraged, but not required, to wear face coverings with close adult supervision
- Children under 2 should not wear face coverings due to the risk of suffocation
What constitutes a face covering?
Under the Governor's order, a cloth face covering is anything that completely covers your nose and mouth. It can be a scarf, bandanna or sewn mask with ties and straps that go around your head and behind your ears. It can be made from a variety of materials, like cotton, fleece or linen and can be either factory-made or made from household items. Disposable masks are acceptable face coverings.
Face shields are not an acceptable substitute for face coverings. A face shield does not fit snugly around the wearer's nose and mouth and does not stop the virus from getting into the air and potentially infecting others. Some exceptions exist for children in summer camp programs.
