Impacted by COVID-19 on Lifeguards
As soon as the global pandemic escalated, the shutdown felt immediate. Lifeguards for pools, beaches and waterparks were quickly faced with fewer hours or worse, no work at all. Now that some states are beginning to reopen pools and beaches for public use, we’re seeing a new impact on the lifeguard community. Here are some cities that can be expected to face changes over the next few weeks.
Longview, Texas
The original opening date for Longview pools was May 30; however, Governor Greg Abbott
is having second thoughts. In order to operate pools safely, he requires 35-40 lifeguards. Given the pandemic, only 12 lifeguards are ready to take on work right now. Lifeguarding classes will begin again on May 18th, so there is hope that enough lifeguards will be ready to train and start working quickly.
Ocean City, New Jersey
The Ocean City Beach Patrol is scheduled to reopen beaches around June 13th or 14th, and the city is taking lifeguarding seriously. As of now, the city plans to have their usual number of lifeguards on duty for the summer.
Corpus Christi, Texas
The Park and Recreation Department of Corpus Christi includes an 8-mile stretch of shoreline that needs a minimum of 30 lifeguards in order to open it to the public. Right now, the department is on the hunt for more lifeguards — with the hopes of filling all 30 positions by Memorial Day.
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