As the COVID-19 pandemic and State and County Stay at Home orders stretch into the summer, many people are left looking for safe activities to do outside.
Sacramento residents are encouraged to continue to use City park space for exercise and other socially distant activities. However, State and County orders are clear: community gatherings are prohibited in public outdoor spaces, and that includes contact sports and parties in City parks.
“The City has heard reports of multiple large non-permitted sporting events in parks,” said Mario Lara, Director of Youth, Parks, & Community Enrichment. “While we understand the desire to get out and be with friends and family, the threat of coronavirus has not gone away. It’s essential we abide by State and County health orders.”
According to the State of California, “State public health directives prohibit professional, social and community gatherings. Gatherings are defined as meetings or other events that bring together persons from multiple households at the same time for a shared or group experience in a single room, space, or place such as an auditorium, stadium, arena, large conference room, meeting hall, or other indoor or outdoor space. They pose an especially high danger of transmission and spread of COVID-19.”
In response to more than a dozen complaints from residents regarding large gatherings of sports teams and spectators at William Land Park, the City has installed additional semi-permanent signage to assist park rangers with educating people about State and County public-health orders.
“We’re asking people to do their part so we can all help curb the spread of COVID-19 in the Sacramento community,” Lara said. “Please do not gather for sports with people who don’t live with you – whether that’s playing baseball, soccer, football or having a big barbecue in the park.”
The City soon will begin issuing citations to groups that are engaged in unpermitted events and that are in violation of the public health orders, Lara said.