COVID-19 Update to Our Orinda Parks and Rec Family:

The state has introduced a regional stay-at-home order across the nine-county region to delay the spread of COVID-19 and prevent the region's hospitals from being overloaded due to the declining availability of hospital beds for patients who need intensive care the Bay Area.

At the beginning of December, before local hospitals were seriously affected, Contra Costa and five other Bay Area municipalities used local health directives to enforce all the features of the state order. The state order went into effect at 11:59 p.m. in the Bay Area, including Contra Costa. Thursday, 17th December. Contra Costa lifted its local order at that moment because it became redundant with the states. The regional stay-at-home order by the state lasts for a period of three weeks.

Status for Winter Classes, Programs, and Events

While our fall programming schedule is changing to be drastically different from the previous year, Orinda Parks and Rec are also searching for ways to have updated programming that complies with the current Contra Costa County Health Orders (CCC) and is compatible with State and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations (CDC).

Parks

In order to promote physically distanced personal health and wellbeing by outdoor exercise, the State of CA approved re-opening playgrounds at the start of December.

Orinda Parks and Rec are asking the community for assistance in adhering to the following practices because we do not have enough resources to implement them - Help Us Help You Play Safe. Signage will be posted suggesting consumption rules intended to keep individuals protected from the spread of COVID-19. These rules include the following:

• To ensure face mask use, face masks over the mouth and nose are required for anyone 2 years of age or older, with caregiver supervision at all times.
• Do not use the playground when a physical distance of 6 feet can not be maintained by various households.
• Maintain a 6-foot physical distance between children and adults from various households, including children who are using or waiting to use playgrounds or play areas, and families who are waiting to reach the playground.
• Parents/caregivers must track and keep at least 6 feet apart from adults and children from various households.
• When others are around, elderly people and people with underlying medical conditions should avoid the playground.
• To prevent waiting times and possible crowded times, consider arriving at various times or days.
• Wash or sanitize hands before and after using the playground

Tennis Courts

The tennis courts in the Orinda Community Center Park are currently open for drop-in play and reservations and are available. The practice court is not being used at this time for any agency programming.

Sports Fields

At present, all-natural grass sports fields are open for families within the same household to use. The Wilder artificial turf fields (Fields 1, 2, and 4) are closed to the public at large. "As they have come under the "summer camp" category under the County Health Orders, the City has approved the use of sports fields, including artificial turf fields at Wilder, Summer Camp activities, and certain youth sports organizations. Groups have been required to apply and follow comprehensive procedures that meet or exceed state and county standards in order to be approved. The fall months remain unknown right now.

We foresee the possibility of making use of organizations that can have written policies and procedures that conform with current county health and CDC guidelines unless the Health Order changes. These rules include the allowance of small, stable groups of 12 or fewer participants, player and coach health screenings, social distance criteria, PPE, and shared equipment, and more.