Bed-Stuy's Kosciuszko Pool Reopens

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — Kosciuszko Pool in Bed-Stuy has opened its doors a week ahead of its originally-scheduled reopening in August.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday that eight public swimming pools, including Kosciuszko, would open on Friday, July 24, after being closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Kosciuszko had previously been on a list of pools set to open Aug. 1.

The pools now opening Friday include Kosciuszko, Sunset Pool, Mullaly pool in the Bronx, Wagner in Manhattan, Liberty and Fisher in Queens and Tottenville and Lyons in Staten Island.

Another seven pools are set to open in the near future, de Blasio said.

"This is going to be wonderful for neighborhood residents and particularly young people, especially as it's gotten so hot,"de Blasio said Thursday.

De Blasio warned there will be social distancing, limits on crowds and people in the locker rooms and "rules" such as distance lines and face coverings. Thankfully, chlorine is a disinfecting "friend" when it comes to coronavirus in the pools themselves, he said.

"There'll be smart efforts to keep people safe, but it's also going to provide a lot of wonderful relief for residents of those neighborhoods and folks from all around," he said.