Cape, Jackson city park playgrounds remain closed through May 31

Playgrounds in Cape Girardeau and Jackson city parks will remain closed at least until May 31, in accordance with state and county guidance, officials said Friday.

Julia Jones, parks and recreation director for the city of Cape Girardeau, said the May 31 reopening is in line with Gov. Mike Parson's directive for Phase 1 of reopening.

Phase 2 could begin in June, Jones said, "if the Governor or our local health department supports this type of activity."

She added, "It is just too challenging to try and keep all of those high-touch surfaces sanitized with the anticipated heavy use, with kids being out of school."

In Jackson, parks and recreation director Shane Anderson said playgrounds and basketball courts in the city parks are closed -- high-touch, high-traffic areas are difficult to keep clean, he said.

Friends of the Parks Day was cancelled in both Jackson and Cape Girardeau this spring. Anderson said Jackson is looking to reschedule, potentially this fall, and Jones encouraged interested groups to contact the Cape Girardeau parks department if they're interested in doing individual park projects.

"We encourage that they practice all of the CDC, state and local recommendations," Jones said.

In Jackson, baseball, softball and soccer leagues are suspended until the beginning of June, but, Anderson said, "the design is to have everything ready to go and planned, so we're ready to start organized practices the first week of June."

Signage in the Jackson parks reminds visitors to avoid large groups and stay 6 feet apart, Anderson added.

"The park is really full," Anderson said. "In the last two months, I've seen more families than in 20 years."

Playgrounds Melania's Magical Playland in Cape Girardeau County Park North and Levi's Adventure Trail in Cape Girardeau County Park South are open again after action Thursday by the Cape Girardeau County Commission.

As they voted to reopen the play areas, the commissioners noted each area is cleaned daily by the county's park department staff, according to previous reporting by the Southeast Missourian.

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