NYers Still Trying To Use Closed Fort Tryon Playground: Officials

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — Closing Jacob K. Javits Playground for flouting social distancing rules last month has not stopped at least some parkgoers from trying to use the play area, according to the parks department.

Parks staff escorted people out of the closed playground half a dozen times in the first 16 days after it was closed March 31, the department said. Javits Playground includes play equipment, basketball courts and adult athletic equipment.

The Fort Tryon Park playground was one of 10 New York City playgrounds that the mayor said needed to be locked up after crowds weren't complying with social-distancing rules meant to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. All New York City playgrounds have since been closed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

"NYPD, Parks Enforcement Patrol, and Urban Park Rangers have been monitoring parks closely and have seen some non-compliance at Jacob Javits Playground, but we have not issued any related summonses," spokesperson Megan Moriarty told Patch last week.

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The use of the playground is an example of social-distancing problems in Fort Tryon Park during the pandemic, according to Jennifer Hoppa, executive director of the Fort Tryon Park Trust.

"[Fort Tryon] is a place where we have had lots of violations of social distancing," Hoppa told Community Board 12's Parks and Cultural Affairs Committee last week. "...A lot of people are unwilling to comply with social distancing requirements."

Hoppa said that parks enforcement staff and the NYPD have been monitoring the park and so far have had to close down a parking lot because people were gathering there.

Along with the NYPD, the Parks Department has been using its Parks Enforcement Patrol officers, Urban Park Rangers and more than 200 other "Park Ambassadors" to monitor the city's parks for proper social-distancing during the coronavirus pandemic since early March, the department said.

Social distancing guidelines ask that people stay at least six feet apart from one another to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Moriarty said that overall there has been compliance but that the department will "enhance enforcement" wherever it is needed. New Yorkers should report non-compliance to 311, she said.

"Parks closed playgrounds and associated amenities in an effort to maintain social distancing in public places," Moriarty said. "Our parks remain open and they are great places for people to get their fresh air and exercise."

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