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City of Houston takes down basketball rims, monitors social distancing at parks to limit COVID-19 spread

Mayor Sylvester Turner ordered nearly 492 basketball rims removed across 142 city parks and said the sport was drawing too many crowds.

HOUSTON — Houston is taking down basketball hoops at city parks and using parks staff to monitor social distancing as part of its efforts to limit community spread of COVID-19.

Mayor Sylvester Turner ordered nearly 492 basketball rims removed across 142 city parks.

“Social distancing is very important,” Mayor Turner said. “It’s one thing to play tennis. You’re across the net. But in regards to basketball, that is a physical contact sport.”

The mayor said the sport was drawing too many crowds at city parks.

“Hated to do it, but health first,” Mayor Turner said. “What you will see if you look at the numbers, the population that’s coming back testing positively (for COVID-19) is that age group between 20 and 60, and a lot of it is in their 20s and 30s.”

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Houston Parks and Recreation Department crews took down 89 rims Tuesday and continued Wednesday.

HPARD is also putting up 1,200 signs, including 400 in Spanish, throughout the parks system.

Mayor Turner also said HPARD staff will be begin doing daily rotations to make sure people are following the rules.

“The parks remain open, but if they become so crowded where people are not engaging in social distancing, then we will be monitoring that situation, and we reserve the right to tell people to move on, and we reserve the right simply to temporarily close those parks,” said Mayor Turner, noting crews were forced to do so at one park over the weekend.

The mayor’s comments followed two major City Council actions Wednesday related to fighting COVID-19.

Council members voted to lease 186 hotel rooms at two hotels in northwest Houston and south Houston to quarantine city workers or the homeless who test positive for COVID-19, are waiting for test results, or have been exposed.

According to documents posted with Wednesday’s council agenda, the city will spend just over $300,000 per month on the lease.

Mayor Turner said the deal will last three months and was ready to go immediately. He said Houston will continue using a third hotel downtown to quarantine police and firefighters.

City Council also voted to set up a COVID-19 Disaster Fund for expenses related to the virus.

The members approved pulling $5 million from the city’s Budget Stabilization Fund to go into this new fund, which the mayor believes FEMA will reimburse.

Coronavirus symptoms

The symptoms of coronavirus can be similar to the flu or a bad cold. Symptoms include a fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Some patients also have nausea, body aches, headaches and stomach issues. Losing your sense of taste and/or smell can also be an early warning sign.

Most healthy people will have mild symptoms. A study of more than 72,000 patients by the Centers for Disease Control in China showed 80 percent of the cases there were mild.

But infections can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death, according to the World Health Organization. Older people with underlying health conditions are most at risk for becoming seriously ill. However, U.S. experts are seeing a significant number of younger people being hospitalized, including some in ICU.

The CDC believes symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 14 days after being exposed.

Human coronaviruses are usually spread through...

  • The air by coughing or sneezing
  • Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
  • Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes before washing your hands.

Help stop the spread of coronavirus

  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Eat and sleep separately from your family members
  • Use different utensils and dishes
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with your arm, not your hand.
  • If you use a tissue, throw it in the trash.
  • Follow social distancing

Lower your risk

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
  • If you are 60 or over and have an underlying health condition such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or respiratory illnesses like asthma or COPD, the World Health Organization advises you to try to avoid crowds or places where you might interact with people who are sick.

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