California lawmakers are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to reconsider closing playgrounds in the state's new stay-at-home order, which will see places for children to play close statewide.
"It is necessary for the mental and physical health of children to have opportunities to expend their physical energy and play," they wrote, "especially in lower-income communities, families may have little to no outdoor space of their own available."
The letter sent to Newsom on Friday was signed by just under a dozen lawmakers, including Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, who represents Berkeley, Richmond and parts of Oakland, and Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez of San Diego, among others.
They argued that high-touch areas are less of a concern since research shows surface transmission is "a much smaller risk," and that it would be prudent to require social distancing and mask-wearing for any child over age 2.
"The broad closure of playgrounds negatively impacts children and families," the lawmakers wrote.
Devastating pic.twitter.com/MSxLVo6xFC
— Matt Haney (@MattHaneySF) December 5, 2020
Newsom's closure order takes effect as state-defined regions — like Northern California, or the Bay Area — see their ICU capacity hit 15%. In the Bay Area local leaders have moved to institute those closures earlier than the state requires, which will see them begin Sunday night.
Public health officials are warning the state is in the midst of a new surge in coronavirus cases, which will be compounded by cases arising from Thanksgiving gatherings. Dr. Tomás Aragón, San Francisco's health officer, said “unlike previous surges, every hospital in California is under stress. There is no place to transfer people if we run out of beds.”
In San Francisco, Supervisor Matt Haney echoed the concerns of state lawmakers, adding that it is of particular concern in one neighborhood he represents — the Tenderloin — which has many families living in single-room-occupancy hotels with little room for children to play.
"This remodeled park in the TL opened for just a few weeks, provided safe, healthy, stewarded play & respite," Haney tweeted Saturday. "It is soul crushing that it will be required to close."
—Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez (@FitztheReporter)
To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy.