With things opening up after over a hundred days of lockdown, governments across the world have become more vigilant in their approaches on how to keep their citizens safe and healthy.

However, a pandemic cannot become the cause for human life to stop indefinitely, and as such public businesses like bars, pubs, hotels, restaurants, etc., are slowly opening up again. But, while adhering to strict guidelines provided by the government. As with all other public engagements, even the reopening of swimming pools is accompanied by its own set of guidelines.

For example, the guideline issued by England on the 26th of June contains the following clauses-

1. Before heading off to your pool for schedules, check the website or social networking platforms of your pool and book a slot in advance.

2. Try not to swim if you show any COVID symptoms, like high temperature, harsh cough, loss of smell, and/or taste.

3. Show up ‘pool prepared’. To lessen the time spent changing into your swimsuit, consider showing up prepared to swim. When you have completed your swim, avoid lingering around the premises.

4. Pre and post-swim showers ought to be taken at home. Try to spend as minimum time as possible in the changing rooms.

5. Bring your own gear. Whatever you might need while swimming like floaties, swimming cap, etc., make sure to carry it with you. Bonus points if you bring hand sanitizer, as well.

6. Your pool owners may divide pool accessibility into time slots to ensure social distancing protocol is maintained at all times. In the event that they do, stick to your allotted time slot and try not to give the owners a hard time.

7. Respect other swimmers’ safety by maintaining a safe distance at all times.

8. Be careful about your speed in the water and try not to overtake any other swimmers. Pick the lane you want to swim in, whether slow, medium, or fast, and stick to it. If you’d like to change it, make sure that no other swimmer is approaching you while you switch.

9. Pick your stroke and stick with it. Swim England has suggested banning the butterfly stroke, as it is a wide stroke and would expand the danger of coming into contact with different swimmers, but, the suggestion has been expelled. Regardless of that, it is better to opt for strokes that ensure as minimum contact as possible.

While taking swimming classes, there are some extra guidelines to adhere to-

1. Your coach has to provide classes from the pool-side.

2. Your standard class may be re-timetabled to guarantee there is adequate time between different classes to stop jams developing in changing rooms or pool-side.

3. Any commonly used gear has to be properly sanitized after being used.