Reported previously that the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp ( RIOC ) closed Southpoint Park last Saturday afternoon because RIOC determined social distancing practices were not being maintained within the park and a number of people were not wearing face coverings. RIOC did not provide any metrics regarding the number of people who were not complying with these safety protocols.
According to RIOC:
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today that free face coverings will be distributed at NYC Parks beginning this weekend.Maintaining Social Distancing
The weather is getting nicer and the draw of the outdoors is getting stronger as the news about the pandemic slowly grows more encouraging. Although we want everyone to enjoy our public spaces, everyone must do so responsibly. That means you must wear a mask or a cloth covering your mouth and nose in public. You must also maintain a social distance of at least six feet whenever possible to cut down on the possibility of infection.
Unfortunately, we had to close Southpoint Park over the weekend because people were not adhering to social distancing guidelines. It is a drastic step we do not take lightly, but one we will take again if another unsafe situation arises.
RIOC Public Information Officer Terrence McCauley replied:Mayor de Blasio announced today that NYC will be giving out free face coverings at local parks.
But no park on Roosevelt island is listed as distributing face coverings. Here’s link.
Will RIOC distribute face coverings at Roosevelt Island parks to avoid closing Southpoint and Lighthouse Park as was done last Saturday?
Any comment?
Roosevelt Island residents can be creative with their face masks.RIOC reserves the right to close any public space when social distancing and guidelines pertaining to masks/face coverings are not being met. We are in the process of discussing the possibility of mask / face covering distribution with the governors office and other stakeholders.
