Du Quoin Pool to open Monday in limited capacity
The Du Quoin Pool is opening to the public on Monday, June 15, but leave your swim fins at home for the time being.
One-on-one swimming lessons and team practice for the Du Quoin Swimming Indians are the only activities that will be allowed in the beginning, Du Quoin park board President Joe Stephens said Thursday.
The competitive season for the Swimming Indians has been canceled, but state health guidelines allow them to practice, in groups of eight or fewer, he added.
Once the lessons and team practices are running smoothly, the pool will look to add lap swim times, Stephens said. And if the state moves into Phase 4 of the COVID-19 recovery plan by June 26, the pool managers will devise ways to let more people in, Stephens said.
But for now, the general public should stay away.
"We doing this one step at a time, so we can get it done properly," Stephens said. He said pool manager Nicole Heape has made a schedule that follows the Perry County and Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines.
To talk to Nicole Heape about private swim lessons or anything else pool-related, call (618) 542-8942 between 9 a.m. and noon.
"I beg people's patience, we want to do it right," Stephens said.
Swimmers will enter the pool area through the west entrance and leave via the east entrance. When they come in they'll be temperature-tested with a point-and-shoot thermometer. Swimmers should come already dressed to swim, as pool managers want to keep people out of the dressing areas and restrooms as much as possible.
"The restrooms will be open, of course, but if we can limit it the less our people will have to clean, and the less overall exposure there will be," Stephens said.
"The beautiful thing is we understand chlorine kills the virus, so I think we can run it safely, I really do," he added.
Stephens said everybody is tired of being cooped up.
"That's why we elected to get the pool going," he said, "to throw a little light out there, a little hope! God knows we could all use some."