Splash into the cool water with a run-up or swim laps in peace - for many water rats there is good news these days: They can finally go back to the swimming pool.
As a prerequisite, the number of new corona cases must have fallen so far that level 2 of the Hessian step-by-step plan has been reached - and according to an overview by the Ministry of Social Affairs on Friday, this is already the case in 18 of a total of 26 municipalities in the state, others are expected in the next few days with it.
Rehabilitation and top-class sport were already possible under certain conditions, including swimming courses, but these were not offered everywhere, as the Hessian Swimming Association (HSV) reports. Tens of thousands of children in Hesse did not learn to swim because of Corona: "Two years have dropped out of swimming training," says Vice President Axel Dietrich. To catch up, the association demands that indoor swimming pools be opened in summer so that crash courses can be offered. Pools in the schools could - if available - also be opened during the holidays.
The association wants to win over clubs and pool operators to get more involved in swimming training, especially for children and young people.
Non-swimmer cohorts must be counteracted in a targeted manner.
Even before the pandemic, there was a lack of sufficient water for swimming training, says Dietrich: "Here too, the pandemic acts like a magnifying glass and exacerbates existing problems."
The city of Frankfurt will open all seven outdoor pools on Monday (June 7th).
"We are looking forward.
The pools are ready, the water is in, ”said the managing director of the Frankfurt swimming pool operations, Boris Zielinski.
Employees were on short-time work until June 1, and now the final preparations are being made, lawns are being mowed and personnel deployments are planned.
Visitors have been able to buy tickets online since Wednesday. As in 2020, there are two daily periods. In between, between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., the systems are briefly closed and cleaned. Of course, it is again a season with considerable additional effort, for example due to compliance with hygiene regulations and distance rules. In addition, there is a loss of income, as not all tickets can be sold by a long way. According to Zielinski, the pools are used to a maximum of 30 to 40 percent at the beginning.
From June 7th you can swim and splash around in the Heinrich-Fischer-Bad in Hanau.
"Fortunately, the corona pandemic allows this", says Hanau's mayor Axel Weiss-Thiel, who is also the chairman of the municipal pool company.
The swimming pool, on the other hand, remains closed for public bathing during the outdoor swimming season and is only used for school swimming, courses and club training.
“We have to avoid the crowd mixing.
In the event of a Covid-19 infection, this would make any necessary follow-up more difficult, ”explained the managing director of Hanauer Bäder GmbH, Uwe Weier.
The baths are already open in Darmstadt
Almost all outdoor pools in Darmstadt have been open since June 1st. Bathers can book tickets for fixed time slots on the Internet or buy them from the Citizens' and Information Center on Luisenplatz. The outdoor pool in Marburg has been open since Wednesday. "It got off to a very good start," reports Rolf Klinge, specialist service manager for the municipal baths. Guests can do their laps in three shifts - a maximum of 30 people are allowed in the morning and up to 300 swimmers during the other two time windows. There is currently a special offer for children and adolescents up to and including 17 years of age: They can use the outdoor pool free of charge throughout the summer - a small compensation for the limited leisure time opportunities of the past months of the pandemic. "Marburg wants to give something back."
Baths Betriebs GmbH (BBG), which belongs to the RhönEnergie Fulda Group, recently announced a possible opening on June 14th for the Fulda outdoor pool in Rosenau - if the incidences do not rise again. You are well prepared for the start of the season. "The pool, building and the extensive outdoor facilities are in top condition," explained Michael Lipus from BBG. "When we open, our hygiene concept with fixed time slots that can be booked online takes effect. Both have already proven themselves last year. ”The city of Giessen is also aiming for June 14th as the opening date.
Preparations for the start of the season are still in progress in Wiesbaden. The prerequisite for a possible opening of the baths according to the 2-step plan of the state of Hesse is a stable incidence below 100 for 21 days. "Only then are opening scenarios possible, subject to various conditions," explained the city's own company mattiaqua. E-ticketing and hygiene concepts have proven their worth and are being used in the same way as in the previous year. In Wiesbaden, the incidence has been below 100 since May 26.