This post was created by and sponsored by FOSS Swim School.
We’re so happy to welcome swimmers back to our pools! As we, like all of you, have navigated 2020, our first thoughts have been to wish a speedy and full recovery to any afflicted, and to do what we can to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
To give you a little more insight into our thoughts on swimming and swimming lessons in 2020, we wanted to share some of the questions we have heard from parents and our answers to them.
Is it really that important to have a swim school open right now?
We believe it is – and we don’t think it’s an either/or choice between helping your kids be safer around water and helping your kids be safer from a virus. In the summer months, kids will be around water more (perhaps more than usual, with the increased interest in boating and outdoor water activities.) Wherever kids and water mix, it’s important that they have the skills they need to be as safe as possible.
That means water safety training. For smaller kids, it’s knowing what to do after falling in the water. For older kids and adults, it’s knowing how to swim confidently and reach safety. The need to learn swimming doesn’t override the need for COVID safety, of course. We’re taking steps to ensure a safer environment for our swimmers and families through updated operations and policies at our schools.
Does chlorinated water kill the coronavirus?
Researchers have found the virus can’t survive in chlorinated water (and isn’t known to transmit through any water according to the CDC.) That’s good news, of course, since the movement of water in our pools and our top-of-the-line water filtration means the virus has little opportunity to get from person to person in the pool itself. Like at the grocery store, we can take precautions outside of the water, and that’s where many of our policies and updated operations are focused.
Are there group classes?
Available classes vary by location. All locations teach private and semi-private classes (one or two students with one teacher), and some have full group classes, with up to four or five students with one teacher. Fortunately, our cohort teaching model – kids swim with the same teacher and the same small group of kids each week – reduces exposure to new people throughout the quarter.
What are your other COVID-related health procedures?
In a nutshell, our policies include screening employees and asking students and families to self-screen; following local mask mandates and strongly recommending their use elsewhere (and requiring them on employees); increasing availability for private or semi-private lessons; taking steps to ensure social distancing and a robust and frequent cleaning regimen. Our full and updated list of policies can be found on our Safety First page here. Safety protocols may vary by location, depending on state and local mandates. Please check with your local FOSS location for specific details.
Is it safe to go to public beaches or pools?
While there have been news stories about viral spread at beaches, the only thing that makes public swimming more likely is that they are popular and more likely to attract crowds. Needless to say, please consider not going to a pool or beach where the factors of increasing transmission are present: large crowds, difficulty maintaining distance, people without face coverings when they are close, and the tendency to spend extended times in proximity. If you see those things anywhere, avoid that place.
But if you have a controlled area, like at a Foss Swim School, where you can swim without the risks of crowds, swimming is a great way to stay active, healthy, and safer around the water. It builds strength and stamina, is a great cardiopulmonary workout, and it can help you beat the heat, too!
At FOSS, we’re doing everything we can to help get kids in the pool – more safely – and play our role in helping reduce the spread of the coronavirus for the good of our families, employees, and communities.
If you have any further questions, please reach out to your local Foss Swim School to learn more about any special measures or opportunities to swim. Keep swimming when you can do so safely, and we hope to see you at the pool!
We’re ready when you are.
Fall Enrollment is NOW OPEN for small group, private, and semi-private classes. View Classes Now.
