Elk Grove Parks Close In An Effort To Help Mitigate COVID-19 Spread

Posted by Lu Vue | Apr 1, 2020 | Community & Events

Photo by Jeff Bravo

With the entire city and state in lockdown to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Elk Grove officials put into place safety measures to discourage large gatherings inside the city.

Cosumnes Community Services District (CSD) announced the closure of public playgrounds, sports fields and courts, and other park amenities at 98 of the Elk Grove parks.

Today, there are 31 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Elk Grove and 255 cases in Sacramento County. Together, there are eight COVID-19 related deaths, two of which were Elk Grove residents. The number of cases are expected to increase over the upcoming weeks as testing becomes more available.

Photo by Jeff Bravo

Given that Sacramento County’s Public Health Order allows outdoor and recreational activities, the city of Elk Grove is trying its best to protect the community with more stringent safety measures. Last week, signs to discourage gatherings went largely ignored as small and large groups came together for sports games at parks, disregarding social distancing orders.

CSD General Manager Joshua Green states: “Outdoor recreation continues to be an important way for people to stay healthy and manage stress, but we must do it safely and with proper physical distancing. After careful consideration, we determined that we must provide clear guidance to Elk Grove residents, followed by visible actions, to keep people safe and slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community.”

Closures for these outdoor settings begin today, April 1:

Athletic fields
Sport courts
Playgrounds and play equipment
Skate parks
Group picnic shelters

Elk Grove parks and trails remain open for “passive recreation” such as walking, running, and biking, and people should adhere to social distancing.

To report violations of the public health order, Sacramento County residents may call 311. For more information about Sacramento County’s COVID-19 cases and public health orders, visit www.saccounty.net/COVID-19.

Photo by Jeff Bravo

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Lu Vue

Lu Vue is our Content Editor & Social Media Director. She is a teacher and writer. Lu taught English and writing in the inner city for most of her educational career and expresses her creativity through writing. She is passionate about students and people and telling their stories with wit and authenticity. She blogs and writes poetry and creative stories at www.sowitcrazedpoet.com. Follow her on Instagram @thecrazedpoet for creative updates.