Memorial Day traditionally marks the beginning of the season for outdoor pools, but, as it has with just about every other aspect of American life, the COVID-19 pandemic has clouded the waters ahead of this long holiday weekend.<\/p>\n

Most pools in the Washington region will remain closed because of government restrictions and guidelines intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus.<\/p>\n

In the District, the pools have been closed since March. Mayor Muriel Bowser will speak about pools during a Friday press conference covering schools and summer programs, her chief spokesperson told The Washington Times.<\/p>\n

Swimming pools aren\u2019t explicitly covered under Maryland\u2019s reopening plan, but sources say they might be allowed to open in phase two. Montgomery County, the state\u2019s most populous county, announced Monday that its public, neighborhood and apartment and condo pools would not open in time for the holiday weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that many in the community equate pool openings with the official start of the summer season, but ongoing COVID-19 restrictions make it impossible to safely open so that swimmers and employees are protected from the spread,\u201d Dr. Travis Gayles, county health officer, said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Virginia is the exception in the region. The state\u2019s pools were allowed to open as part of its first phase of reopening, but only for lap swimming with one person per lane. That means no large groups or pool parties.<\/p>\n

Northern Virginia has yet to enter phase one. Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties are maintaining stay-at-home orders through at least May 29 because of high numbers of COVID-19 cases.<\/p>\n

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say there is no evidence that the coronavirus can spread from person to person inside pools or hot tubs because chlorine and bromine \u201cshould inactivate the virus in the water,\u201d but pools are popular gathering spots during the summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been dealing with a lot of pressure from folks saying, \u2018Hey, chlorinated water is actually safe. People can swim,\u2019\u201d said Robert Green, a D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation program manager who coaches the D.C. Wave swim team. \u201cOur main concern is really the chokepoints of the facilities: everyone coming in the same door, everyone having to use the same locker rooms.\u201d<\/p>\n

As with most other coronavirus restrictions, pool closures are by no means uniform across the country.<\/p>\n

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, said pools in his state may open May 26, the day after Memorial Day, but with reduced capacity and social distancing. The state also recommended face coverings while not swimming.<\/p>\n

Texas also allowed pools to reopen this month, but several cities decided to wait. They include Austin, home of the spring-fed Barton Springs Pool.<\/p>\n

\u201cCity pools, which would have started to open in phases by now, are currently closed,\u201d an Austin city spokesperson told The Times. \u201cThis is under evaluation to see if any operations are possible this summer. The current stay-at-home, work-safe order runs until May 30. The Parks and Recreation Department will continue to consult with health officials to monitor the situation and determine if and when services should reopen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bob Scott, mayor of Sioux City, South Dakota, said Monday that \u201cwe may not be able to open the pools at all\u201d this year.<\/p>\n

For many in the District and Maryland, which has a strong swimming culture that produced Olympic stars Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky, closing pools indefinitely might not be acceptable.<\/p>\n

Yet the pandemic has forced some summer swim leagues, including the Central Maryland Swim League, to cancel their 2020 seasons. The Montgomery County Swim League called off its main meets while holding out hope that it can put on some form of a season once restrictions are lifted.<\/p>\n

In the District, Mr. Green called it \u201cpretty doubtful\u201d that the Department of Public Works will hold its usual summer league, though there has been no official word. The Northern Virginia Swim League has canceled its season.<\/p>\n

The Prince-Mont Swim League, which covers parts of Prince George\u2019s and Montgomery counties, has not called off the season and is working on different scenarios \u201cto get in as much of a season as possible,\u201d said Ken Wenzel, president of Belair Swim & Racquet Club in Bowie, Maryland.<\/p>\n

Belair was scheduled to open Saturday, but the board of directors sent members an email Wednesday to say the facility will be closed this weekend and will reopen in accordance with state and local guidelines.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe one thing our board stresses to our members is that the safety of all of our members, family and friends is paramount,\u201d Mr. Wenzel said. \u201cSo we\u2019re not going to do anything until we\u2019re absolutely sure everything is safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Wenzel said the Belair board had yet to talk with the pool\u2019s insurers regarding liability if someone claimed to catch the virus while at the pool. The pool is insured year-round.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, local pool members are still paying dues, unsure when they will be able to swim again and while Americans are losing countless jobs. At Belair, a member-owned pool, the board is doing what it can to ease the financial burden, including setting up payment plans, Mr. Wenzel said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want to lose anybody for that,\u201d he said. \u201cYet we have had some people leave. Understandable, they said that they just can\u2019t afford it, and we understand that.\u201d<\/p>\n

For those who simply can\u2019t wait to swim again, particularly the 265 D.C. Wave athletes who range in age from 7 to high school, Mr. Green said it\u2019s important to remember that the pandemic is out of their control.<\/p>\n

\u201cObsessing over it and worrying about it is really not going to be helpful for them,\u201d he said. \u201cThe main message is stay positive, keep yourself in shape. Find other outlets for physical activity and socialization that you can do right now. Because that\u2019s going to get us through this phase.\u201d<\/p>\n