The City of Austin is closing all parks and recreational facilities over the Fourth of July weekend to try to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Parks, golf courses, tennis courts, boat ramps, recreational centers, museums and preserves will be closed Friday through Sunday. Any pre-paid admissions will be credited to the visitor’s account or refunded, the city says.
Barton Springs Pool and Deep Eddy Pool will be closed starting Tuesday until further notice. Austin Public Health recommended the pools close and will be evaluating both facilities, the city says.
The weekend’s closures were prompted by an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Travis County has seen its highest days of new cases in the past two days — 636 on Sunday and 508 on Monday.
Travis County is also closing all of its parks over the weekend, starting Thursday at 8 p.m. until next Tuesday at 8 a.m. If the threat of COVID-19 continues to rise, the county says parks could remain closed for longer.
