In a brief press release, issued by the city of Portsmouth, Ohio the Mckinley swimming pool is temporarily closed.
The closing is said to be “due to staff illness not related to Covid-19.”
It went on to include: “We do not have enough Lifeguards to keep it open at this time.”
So, between the illness of a staff member and not enough Lifeguards, there’s no tentative opening date. Not to mention, the Portsmouth City Council’s new ordinance and the upgraded emergency level handed down to us by the State makes it unlikely we will see the swimming pool open at all.
Another situation we’ve found odd is the lack of “cooling stations”. Each year, we have reported the when’s and where’s of cooling stations in the summer and warming stations in the winter. With temperatures remaining in the low to mid 90’s, for days on end, we have not been made aware of a single cooling station.
So, the Portsmouth, Ohio swimming pool is closed and there are no cooling stations (that we have been informed about) available to the community.
The most updated information we have from the Scioto EMA concerning COVID is today (7/18/20) six (6) new positive COVID19 case for Scioto County. This brings the total of positive cases to ninety-seven (97) since the start of the outbreak for the county.
The health departments also reported that three (3) more persons who had previously tested positive for the virus or had been put into quarantine have recovered or completed their isolation protocol. The total of persons recovered now stands at fifty-eight (58).
One more hospitalization was reported by today bringing the total to thirteen (13) people who have been hospitalized since April 6, 2020.
Regarding the staff and inmates at SOCF, were told (7/17/20) that Southern Ohio Correctional Facility (SOCF) has seven (7) employees that have tested positive for the COVID19 virus. The ODRC reported that two (2) of the employees that previously tested positive have recovered.
In addition, SOCF has twenty-one (21) inmates in quarantine and six (6) other inmates awaiting test results
The Portsmouth Police said, “If you see someone who you believe is not complying with the mask order, and you feel you must report it, DO NOT call the police department.”
So, as summer swelters on, there’s no swimming pool. Grab a hose and squirt your brother.