How to have fun and keep kids safe during the COVID-19 summer?

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When public areas are reopened, many parents are concerned about whether to let their children go to the park, beach or swimming pool? In general, to protect your child against Covid, you need to let your child play in a safe place and take precautions against COVID-19 infection.

1. Should children go out to play?

1.1 Parks When taking your child to the park, just keep these precautions in mind:
Choose parks close to home : Long distance travel puts your family at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 (or making it easier to catch COVID-19). community transmission if someone in the household carries the virus). Because you are more likely to have to stop at certain places on the road, touch surfaces contaminated with the virus, or be in close contact with strangers.
Choose where to stay open: Some parks and recreation areas may be closed. Some places may not have restrooms with adequate soap and water, so you'll need to bring your own toiletries, including hand sanitizer.
Practice social distancing: Stay at least 2m away from others, avoid crowds and only stand close to people you live with. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends that everyone 2 years of age and older wear a mask in public, especially in locations where it is difficult to maintain social distancing, like parks. fun for kids.
Traditional hand washing or use of hand sanitizer : Perform hand hygiene after using the toilet, before eating and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.

1.2 Playgrounds According to the CDC, the truth is that amusement parks are difficult to ensure safety during the pandemic because they are often crowded and have many surfaces that are not cleaned regularly.
There are no specific rules about using playgrounds during the pandemic, so whether the playground is open and the guidelines for protecting children from Covid will depend on where you live.
It is best to use your own judgment when deciding whether to let your children go out :
If the playground has many children, the risk of illness will definitely increase. Consider taking your baby out at a different time of day, returning when there are fewer people. If there are only a few children on the playground and there is enough space for your child to play at a distance of 2m, then this place is likely to be fine. The CDC recommends that children 2 years of age and older wear face masks to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 through respiratory droplets. Masks should not be used on younger children to avoid the risk of suffocation.
Bring hand sanitizer for you and your child to use in case there is no adequate toilet. You should also bring a bottle of water to wash off any dirt on your child's hands before using hand sanitizer. Dirt and grease can make hand sanitizers less effective.
1.3 Swimming pools You may not get COVID-19 from swimming in the water. In particular, pool water is often disinfected with chemicals that kill viruses.
However, you still have to be careful when getting too close to others at pools, water parks or other water entertainment venues. As with parks and playgrounds, if the pool is crowded and you can't maintain social distancing, it's a good idea to give your child another, safer activity.
Remember that drowning is the greatest risk to children in swimming pools. Parents need to learn more about water safety and how to protect your child from drowning.

1.4 Beach The same rules for protecting children against Covid in parks and swimming pools also apply to beaches. First, make sure that the beach you want to visit is open and follow the safety rules set forth by the local government.
Avoid letting your baby hang out at the crowded beach and should keep a distance of at least 2m from people who are not part of your family. Bring plenty of hand sanitizer so everyone in the family can wash their hands often (in case the bathroom isn't available or the bathroom isn't clean) and try to avoid touching your face with your hands.
It's best to bring towels, beach chairs, other equipment and toys, rather than using shared or rented equipment.

2. Notes to protect children against Covid

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and health experts have made some recommendations to protect children against Covid, when participating in outdoor activities that are popular in the summer. However, scientists are still in the process of studying the COVID-19 virus, and how the disease is spread is still evolving. So any guidelines are subject to change over time.
In addition, all of the above guidelines apply to someone who is not infected with COVID-19. If you or anyone in your household is showing symptoms of COVID-19, has tested positive for the virus, or was exposed within the past 14 days, stay home and practice self-isolation to protect yourself. protect others.
Reference source: babycenter.com