DOTHAN, Ala.— The City of Enterprise is closing all five city playgrounds after an announcement Monday.
Mayor Bill Cooper said he and Parks and Recreation Director Billy Powel decided to close the playgrounds after the number of Alabama’s COVID-19 cases rose to 157 Sunday. As of this report, there are 196 confirmed cases, one being a Dothan resident.
“It is with regret that we close the playgrounds, but we believe this is the best action to protect our children and help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus to them and others,” Cooper said.
According to the city, part of the problem is that it would be difficult to keep children safe by following the CDC’s guidelines.
“We felt this action was needed because we are asking everyone to follow the safety guidelines issued by the ADPH, the Governor’s Office and the CDC to practice social distancing of six feet,” Powell said. “Children are touching the surfaces of the equipment, and it’s really hard to keep children six feet apart while at play. We are trying to protect the children from contracting the virus or passing it on to others.”
Also, the city is not equipped with enough manpower to sanitize the equipment frequently enough.
The playgrounds are at Johnny Henderson Family Park, Gibson, Peavy, Westside, and Donaldson parks. These parks will remain open for any families that want to spend time together outside and walk the trails, just not on the playgrounds.
Cooper said Enterprise City Hall is still open for business, but it is preferred that citizens conduct their business with the city by phone, email or direct mail as much as possible.
Those who need to pay the court and water bills or apply for business licenses can do so at www.enterpriseal.gov. Citizens can also learn about building permits and other matters related to the municipality on the website.
If you are sick, the city asks you to stay away, but if you must go to City Hall, you must keep yourself six feet away from others.
