Ottawa Is Officially Opening Its Beaches For The Summer With Lifeguards & Everything
Nothing says summer like a trip to the beach. While the pandemic put a lot of those plans on hold, the sandy shores in some areas are starting to reopen. Ottawa's beaches will open as well.
Mayor Jim Watson made the announcement in a June 26 tweet, saying that the city's beaches would officially open tomorrow.
"Mooneys Bay, Westboro and Petrie Island beaches open tomorrow 12 noon - 7 pm with lifeguards !" he wrote.
Dr. Cameron Montgomery asked if the water at the beaches would be tested. Mayor Watson confirmed that it would be.
Ottawa Public Health provided more information, writing "Hey Dr. Montgomery, we'll be posting the test results to our website (https://OttawaPublicHealth.ca/Beaches) and on social media by 10am daily from tomorrow until the end of August."
The city consistently tests the water at its beaches for E. coli bacteria, which can also indicate the presence of other disease-causing organisms.
Ottawa Public Health notes that swimming at the beach does not carry a high risk of infection by COVID-19, as water is not a preferred vector of transmission.
They do still urge that people keep practicing good hygiene and physical distancing while visiting the beach during the summer.
There have already been problems with attendance at other beaches across Canada as soon as they were opened to the public.
Sauble Beach had just reopened before having to be shut down again to beachgoers causing problems such as overcrowding.
Toronto's beaches saw massive crowds last weekend, with many people leaving litter everywhere after they left.
Mayor John Tory expressed the hope that people would be better about social distancing and being responsible as the city heads into another warm and sunny weekend.
As the summer season goes on, it will likely be harder to keep Canadians away from their favourite outdoor spaces.