Woodstock cancels 2020 pool season, opens tennis courts

Woodstock city officials have announced that the Woodstock Water Works Aquatic Center will remain closed for the 2020 season, in accordance with COVID-19 guidance provided in Gov. JB Pritzker's five-phase plan to reopen the state.

However, the city plans to open tennis courts as soon as possible with special guidelines around social distancing and sanitizing of the courts, according to a news release.

“Make no mistake, the city is eager to offer residents as much opportunity as possible this summer,” Mayor Brian Sager said in the release.

The city’s Playground Program will not be offered at this time and the Recreation Center will remain closed until further notice, according to the release.

“Given the COVID-19 pandemic and associated state imposed restrictions, we face arduous decisions,” Sager said in the release. “With primary focus on health and safety of residents we will continue to consider summer recreational opportunities in light of available personnel, preparation time, monitoring ability and financial capacity given reduced operating revenues.”

These decisions were made based on guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health included in “Restore Illinois,” the governor’s plan to gradually bring the state out of quarantine.

The Woodstock City Council held a virtual meeting on May 5 and decided unanimously that it would be impossible to open public pools while also adhering to IDPH safety guidelines, according to the release.

Some of the city’s Recreation Department programs may be offered virtually and the city will look into offering additional programs in small group settings once the county is notified by the IDPH that the region has moved from Phase 2 to Phase 3 of the governor’s plan.

According to the plan, Phase 3, "Recovery," allows health and fitness entities to offer outdoor classes in small groups.

For the time being, the Recreation Center’s playgrounds and ballfields will remain closed and no team sports, leagues or tournaments will be scheduled, according to the release.

The Woodstock City Council will revisit recreational closures during their meetings scheduled for June and July to see if additional activities can be offered.

Closures also include Woodstock Opera House programs, which currently are canceled through June. The city is planning to offer public viewing opportunities for the 136th season of the Woodstock City Band, in accordance with IDPH safety guidelines.