City of Lakeland Closes Additional Park Facilities to Lessen Impacts of COVID-19
LAKELAND, FL (March 23, 2020) | During a specially called City Commission meeting to discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 virus, a decision was made to close additional park facilities in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The following park spaces will close at dusk Monday, March 23rd until March 30th or until further notice:
- Gated park spaces and gated trails
- Parks spaces with picnic pavilions, playgrounds and/or bathrooms
- Cleveland Heights Golf Course, including parking lots
- All tennis and pickleball courts
- All basketball courts
- All dog parks
- All boat ramps
The City Commission voted 5-2 to close the additional park facilities to assist with the effort to enforce social distancing. The City Commission debated on this topic and ultimately decided to close the additional facilities in order to meet the 15-day period expressed by President Trump to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. While every community is unique and experiencing varying levels of community transmission, the 15-day pause recommended by the White House presents the entire country with an opportunity to assess and take steps to implement actions designed to slow and limit the spread of COVID-19.
City Manager Tony Delgado said, “The safety and well-being of the community is the City’s primary concern as we all work together to help deter the spread of COVID-19. As a City, there are a number of measures we’re taking to ensure we manage to safely get through this situation while continuing to serve our community and the citizens of Lakeland effectively.” He added, “We certainly apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our citizens but we must all do our part to help make sure the coronavirus does not spread throughout the community.”
Much of Lakeland’s beautiful green space can’t be completely blocked off to prevent access. At this time, the City of Lakeland encourages the public to follow the recommendations for social distancing and hygiene when participating in outdoor activities. The City of Lakeland has developed a dedicated webpage with a number of resources to help the community stay informed. You can find this site by visiting LakelandGov.net/COVID19.
We ask that you continue to follow the guidelines outlined by the Center for Disease Control and the initiatives set in place by the White House to help curb the impacts of the virus. We are all experiencing unprecedented times but we will get through it by working together with the common goal to defeat this virus.
Parks & Recreation's COVID-19 Closures Page
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About Lakeland
The City of Lakeland was incorporated in January 1885 and has grown to become one of the largest inland communities in Florida. With a current population of over 100,000, Lakeland continues to grow. It has been designated a Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area by the US Census Bureau for over 30 years. With tourist attractions and gulf beaches only an hour away, Lakeland continues to capitalize on its ideal central Florida location along the I-4 corridor. The City owns and operates Lakeland Electric, the third-largest publicly owned utility in Florida and it was one of the first to offer power in the Sunshine State over 110 years ago.
For additional information about the City of Lakeland, please explore lakelandgov.net.
Citizens are also invited to follow the City on social media.