Greenbelt Recreation will be lifting several Covid-19 restrictions on Monday, March 21, following updates in guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and policies from Prince George’s County.
Recreation facilities, including the Community Center, will return to pre-pandemic hours of operation where staffing permits, and all regular entry doors will be unlocked. Capacity restrictions on recreation spaces will also be removed.
“All the staff is very excited to see more traffic through the building, we’re really looking forward to that. We’re excited to be expanding more starting on March 21,” Community Center Supervisor Di Quynn Reno said.
Spring sessions for in-person and online classes begin on March 21, and participants must register online. The city also plans to expand rentals of indoor spaces, both paid and unpaid. Space for programming will remain a priority with the rentals, Director of Recreation Greg Varda said in the announcement.
Food delivery programming for seniors will not be changing at this time, according to Therapeutic Recreation Supervisor Rebekah Sutfin. “We will definitely bring the Food and Friendship program back, but at this time we do not have a tentative date,” she added.
On Monday, March 7, the mask mandate was lifted for all city facilities, including recreation, one week after the county decided to lift its mask requirements.
“We decided, after talking to staff, we would give a week’s pause just so that we could let staff and our residents know that it was coming so that nobody walks into our facilities and is surprised that no one is wearing a mask,” said Acting City Manager Tim George.
Signs will be posted at the entrance of all recreation facilities to notify residents of the assumption of the risk of contracting Covid-19 with the policy changes.
Residents are not required to provide proof of vaccination to enter facilities, but recreation staff must show proof of vaccination or a weekly negative Covid-19 test before coming to work, George said. Covid-19 waivers, temperature checks, sign-ins and screening questions will no longer be required to enter facilities unless they are required by health department regulations for a specific program.
“Any staff member or resident coming into the building who is more comfortable wearing a mask is encouraged and welcome to do so,” George said.
The city will continue to follow Covid-19 mandates and guidance from Prince George’s County Health Department, as well as recommendations from the CDC, Varda said in the announcement.