B.C.’s top doctor says government is working on guidelines to give municipalities looking to try and reopen parks and playground equipment that were closed to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Dr. Bonnie Henry says playgrounds are important places for children, but notes the reopening has to be done with small numbers of people, physical distancing, adequate cleaning, and other similar measures.

“Really the focus is on preventing physical contact between young children and making sure that there is adequate cleaning and particularly in the washroom, and that there are measures put in place to reduce the numbers of people who are using them at any one time,” she said.

“We feel that with this type of important basic measures, that these can be safely used by people, and I think that is a really great thing for us now and particularly as the weather is getting nice.”

Several Lower Mainland communities are reopening playgrounds next Monday, June 1, the same day that schools are reopening across the province. The City of Kamloops closed its playground equipment back on March 23.

“Its incumbent on all of us to stay away and to keep our children home if we are not feeling well or they are not felling well because that is the risk that we have when we have people playing together and connecting,” Henry added.

There is no word yet if the city of Kamloops plans to also reopen playground equipment on June 1.