By Medicine Hat News on May 26, 2020.
Some outdoor playground structures will reopen Friday. The city says skate parks, skate spots, fitness parks and outdoor play structures in both city parks and school grounds will be open to the public. Expect to see new signs warning that the structures are not sanitized. It is recommended you take hand sanitizer with you and use it to limit the spread of COVID-19. Please also practise physical distancing and stay home if you are sick. “The City of Medicine Hat is relying on residents to use discretion and make responsible choices to help mitigate virus transmission,” says James Will, general manager parks and recreation. “Because the structures are not sanitized, this remains a ‘use at your own risk’ scenario, but we will no longer restrict access after May 29.” In April, the city and local school divisions opted to make these spaces off limits in order to remove ambiguity around the interpretation of provincial orders and appropriate preventative measures. Elm trees This week city crews are injecting city owned elm trees with a bio-pesticide that is both environmentally inert and also effective in controlling European Elm Scale, an insect which feeds on elm trees. 8