The health and safety of the community is top priority of the Town of Manchester. The Town of Manchester is taking actions that are reasonably necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the community to minimize the effect of said emergency and to limit transmission of the COVID-19 Virus. In response the Department of Leisure, Family and Recreation will cancel all programs beginning on Saturday, March 14th, 2020. Programs, activities, events and facility reservations will not be available until further notice. We are continuing to assess the situation and will continue to provide program and activity updates on this situation. If you are currently enrolled in a program, please know that all accounts will be credited for the closed time.

Recreation Centers
All Recreation Centers (Mahoney Recreation Center, Community Y Recreation Center, Northwest Park Early Childhood Center, Eastside Neighborhood Resource Center) will be closed indefinitely effective Saturday, March 14th.

Our Parks and Playgrounds
In an effort to keep our community safe and ensure access to our public parks, effective Thursday March 19th, 2020, all public parks are closed to group activities indefinitely. It is still evident within our parks there are still some individuals not adhering to the social distancing guidance laid out by the CDC (CDC Strategy). The Town is taking action to immediately help mitigate risk within our parks and greenspaces. At this time if you need to be outside, the Recreation Division is encouraging you to limit all group play activities.In an effort to limit group activities the following temporary actions are being taken:
• Basketball rims are being removed from backboards,
• All pickle ball & tennis courts will be locked,
• Dog Park will be locked,
• Playscapes are being fenced off,
• Kennedy/Hillstown Soccer Parking Area will be closed.
At our major park facility entrances park ambassador will be monitoring group activity. We ask that you respect and follow their directives.

Trails and Greenspaces: SKIP THE PARK, TAKE A HIKE
Our hiking and walking trails throughout the community which allow for passive recreation (includes, walking, hiking, biking on permitted trails, or activities which allow for individual participation and/or social distancing) are still open to the public.There are a number of recommendations to keep safe social distancing when on trails;
• Follow CDC’s guidance on personal hygiene prior to heading to trails — wash hands, carry hand sanitizer, do not use trails if you have symptoms, cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, etc.
• Observe at all times CDC’s minimum recommended social distancing of six feet from other people. Practice it and know what it looks like. Keep it as you walk, bike or hike.
• Warn other trail users of your presence and as you pass to allow proper distance and step off trails to allow others to pass, keeping minimum recommended distances at all times. Signal your presence with your voice, bell or horn.
• Note that trail and park public restrooms are closed — be prepared before you leave and time outings so that you are not dependent on public restrooms.
• Bring water or drinks — public drinking fountains may be disabled and should not be used, even if operable.
• Bring a suitable trash bag. Leave no trash, take everything out to protect park workers

Parents/Guardians
We are all in this together and we need to work together to ensure the safety of our community. Your help is needed to communicate this information to your children and be mindful where, when, and whom they are playing with.

Swim Lessons and Aquatic Fitness Classes
All swim lessons and aquatic fitness classes are cancelled indefinitely. WSI/LGT Trainings will also be postponed and rescheduled at an appropriate time.

Early Childhood, Youth & Adult Programs
All programs will be cancelled until further notice.

Youth Service Bureau
All YSB program including the Teen Center will be cancelled until further notice.

Summer Camp Registration
Please note registration for summer camp, initially scheduled on Wednesday, April 1st, will be postponed until Friday, May 1st.

In the event you would like to contact the Department of Leisure, Family and Recreation, call us at (860) 647-3084 or email rec@manchesterct.gov during our business hours, Monday through Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.

For more information on COVID-19; please visit the State of Connecticut’s website at https://portal.ct.gov/coronavirus. Visit http://generalmanager1.townofmanchester.org/index.cfm/covid-19/ for more Town specific information and updates.

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding during this time.

SUMMER CAMP