CARIBOU, Maine — The Caribou Wellness and Recreation Center will open its doors to the public on Monday with restrictions and social distancing guidelines in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The facility will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays, but the public will only have access to the main office and the gym for walking and basketball, said Gary Marquis, Caribou Parks and Recreation superintendent.
“We will be asking patrons to please bring their own basketballs, and social distancing standards will need to be met,” Marquis said.
Arrows will be placed on the indoor track to encourage visitors to walk in the same direction and that masks are strongly encouraged, he said. Use of exercise equipment will not be allowed due to the risk of potential contamination.
Patrons with a cough, sore throat, signs or symptoms of fever, shortness of breath, or a loss of taste or smell will be asked to stay home for their safety and the safety of others, office manager Lynn Merritt said.
The department’s social media page said that a maximum of 35 will be allowed in the building.
The Caribou Rec Outdoor Camp is scheduled to start on June 16, with Program Director Neal Sleeper hosting two sessions a day for most programs — which include kayaking, biking, mini golf, golf and horseback riding, as well as one overnight trip to the North Maine Woods for a fishing trip.
“By providing two sessions, we can keep groups smaller to make it manageable for social distancing and to abide by the Maine CDC recommendations,” said Matthew Bouchard, director of recreation.
Sports programs, such as baseball, softball, tennis, and track and field, will begin on June 22. Like the outdoor camp, Bouchard said these programs will involve more sessions to ensure group sizes are small while also allowing for a large number of overall participants across all programs.
More information on both the sports and outdoor programs can be found on the department’s website at caribourec.org under the “Youth Program & Schedules” link at the top of the home page. This page includes detailed information and schedules for each program as well as a registration form.
“We will be social distancing as much as possible, and when we can’t, staff will be wearing masks,” Bouchard said. “We will be encouraging hand hygiene by washing or using hand sanitizer often. We will be disinfecting equipment that is touched on a regular basis, and we will be asking spectators to maintain six feet from others if they wish to watch from outside their vehicles. Staff and participants will be asked to stay home if they are feeling sick and we will be taking the proper protocols if we were to have a suspected positive case.”
