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Midland Mayor Patrick Payton discusses possibility of pools reopening over the summer

The mayor suggested city pools could be opened up as part of the second phase of city reopenings.

MIDLAND, Texas — Midland Mayor Patrick Payton discussed the possibility of reopening city swimming pools over the summer in Thursday's Unified Command Midland COVID-19 update meeting.

In response to a viewer question on Facebook, he stated that the city would be reacting to cues first from Midland health officials and then from state health and safety regulations set by the governor on when it might be safe to reopen the pools.

As of May 1, Governor Greg Abbott will be allowing many retail businesses, malls, movie theaters, museums, and libraries to reopen at up to 25% capacity.

The mayor expressed optimism about the potential for pools to open their doors again, saying, "if we can put enough chlorine in the pool to go along with the UV rays, it could be a great thing for all of us."

According to the CDC, there is currently no evidence that the virus causing COVID-19 can spread through swimming pools, as chlorine and other disinfectants used in typical pool cleaning procedures would render the virus inert at normal levels of use.

Information about Drinking Water, Treated Recreational Water, and Wastewater Updated April 23, 2020 Updated guidance based on recent research findings for the following questions: Is the virus that causes COVID-19 found in feces (stool)? Can the virus that causes COVID-19 spread through sewerage systems? Should wastewater workers take extra precautions to protect themselves from the virus that causes COVID-19?

Pools remain closed across the state despite this due to restrictions on most public spaces where public gathering could break social distancing guidelines.

Future Unified Command updates can be found on the Midland Memorial Hospital Facebook page along with regular Midland health updates, which have been streamed on weekdays during the course of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The City of Midland Health Department is currently conducting their investigation on three new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Midland County, bringing the overall case count to 79. For the full press release, please click this link: https://www.midlandhealth.org/.../three-new-cases-of-covid19-...

The full meeting can be viewed below.

 RELATED: Odessa medical official explains why pools are staying closed

RELATED: What will phase one of 'Open Texas' look like in Midland and Odessa?

Unified Command COVID-19 Update 04/30/20

Unified Command COVID-19 Update 04/30/20

Posted by Midland Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 30, 2020

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