Use Of Parks In Martinez During Stay-At-Home Order

Press release from the City of Martinez:

A notice from City leadership concerning the use of all City of Martinez parks.

NOTICE REGARDING USE OF CITY PARKS DURING GOVERNOR’S STAY-AT-HOME ORDER

The City recognizes the many benefits of outdoor activity and therefore has elected thus far to keep our parks and trails open during this unprecedented time of extended “Shelter-in-Place” and “Stay-at-Home” orders issued by the County Health Officer and Governor Newsom. These directives were made in an effort to “flatten the curve” of the Coronavirus spread, which has now risen to 51 total confirmed cases in Contra Costa County and the first reported fatality.

In light of recent reports of park users ignoring the directives which 1) prohibit gatherings of any size; and 2) require social distancing of a minimum of six feet away from persons who are not part of your household at all times, the City is taking an additional measure of closing all playgrounds (which is also a specific County Health recommendation), water fountains and bathrooms until further notice. The parks remain open for the time being, but this decision will be evaluated on a regular basis based on community compliance.

We remind the community that it is mandatory to practice social distancing when in our parks and trails. You can go for walks, go to the park, and engage in other similar activities, but must maintain social distance (i.e. be more than six feet away from persons who are not part of your household) when on walks and in parks to avoid spread of the virus.

While our parks and trails remain open during California’s Stay-at-Home Order, the Martinez Police Department will be patrolling to aid in social distancing enforcement. We would like to ask the support of the community to do your part to abide by the orders. Should you see behavior in the parks that require a police response, please call Dispatch at 925-372-3440. While the Police Department will do all they can to enforce the Order, they are using education and voluntary compliance to work with the public on adhering to proper guidelines pursuant to the County and State orders to shelter-in-place. It is also important to keep in mind that the Police Department responds to a variety of priority calls each day and may not always be able to respond to complaints in parks on social distancing in a timely manner. As such, we appreciate everyone’s help in following the guidelines for social distancing.

The Martinez Temporary Dog Park will remain open during this time. If it is found that users are not following the mandatory social distancing Requirements, the entrance gate will be closed for access.

We thank our community for taking these unprecedented restrictions seriously. Ensuring the safety and well-being of our community remains our highest priority.

This press release was produced by the City of Martinez. The views expressed here are the author’s own.