On the first Saturday of the Hessian summer holidays, Stadtwerke Giessen will once again be welcoming bathers to the Ringallee outdoor pool. This opening under corona conditions entails various changes. The Giessen swimming pools ask visitors to be prepared.
Many things are different in 2020. The SARS-CoV-2 virus has had a massive impact on practically all areas of public life. This includes the fact that the Ringallee outdoor pool was not able to open for the season at the end of April as planned, but will only open its doors next Saturday, 4 July. Swimmers will also soon be able to swim their lengths again in the Westbad and the Pohlheim indoor pool. They will open again on Monday, 6 July. And if everything goes according to plan, the Ringallee swimming centre and wellness area will be open to the public from 15 July. The outdoor pools in Lützellinden and Kleinlinden, on the other hand, will remain closed this season. "Unfortunately, the pandemic has thrown our staff planning into disarray. This can no longer be corrected this season," says Uwe Volbrecht, Head of Giessen's swimming pools, explaining the background.
Avoiding crowds of people
A central component of the pool-specific hygiene concepts on which the opening of the pools is based is the social distancing requirement. This particularly affects the entrance areas. This is because larger crowds usually gather there, as queues often form in front of the cash desk on sunny days. "We have to avoid this at all costs," explains Uwe Volbrecht. For this reason, the Giessen pools have set up an e-ticket system. This means that from Wednesday 1 July, i.e. before the opening date on 4 July, anyone wishing to visit the Ringallee outdoor pool can purchase tickets for the day of their visit on the Giessen pools' website. Initially, there will be a quota of four tickets per person - enough for a family with two children. The tickets are valid for a whole day. Equipped with the tickets purchased online, visitors can then enter the outdoor pool quickly and easily. "We currently assume that we will be able to sell tickets for around 70 per cent of the daily available places in the outdoor pool via the new system. We are keeping 30 per cent free for our season and season ticket holders," says Uwe Volbrecht, describing the procedure. But this procedure is not set in stone. "We check the ratio every day and adjust it accordingly."
The Giessen pools also apply this breathing system to the maximum number of visitors. Initially, a maximum of 60 people are allowed in the large pool at any one time. For the Ringallee outdoor pool, this will initially result in a maximum number of 500 visitors per day. Uwe Volbrecht and his team are planning for 150 guests per day at the Westbad and 160 at the bathing centre. "If everyone sticks to the rules and we realise that we have room for improvement, we will adjust our numbers accordingly," promises Uwe Volbrecht.
It is precisely this necessary access control that makes the matter extremely labour-intensive. This is because there are specialists at all entrances and exits to the pools who monitor how many people are currently in the water.
Whether the maximum number of visitors has been reached or not can be determined online. The ticket shop counts automatically and cancels sales if the limit is reached. A traffic light system will be introduced for season and season ticket holders: On the Giessen pools' homepage, a green, orange or red field will signal whether it is worth making the journey to the outdoor pool. However, the actual number of people on site will be decisive for admission. "We will also put up a corresponding signal in front of the entrance," announces Uwe Volbrecht and asks for your understanding right now: "Of course it is frustrating when someone comes to us and realises that the daily quota has been exhausted. But we have to work together to make the best of the situation. I would therefore like to thank everyone today for their prudent behaviour".
Further special rules
Protection against infection requires further changes to the usual procedure. The baby pool will remain dry until further notice. Toilets and showers are open, but there are also restrictions on the number of people in these areas. There is also a new exit - to the right of the kiosk through the gate. "This is currently the only way to leave the outdoor pool," adds Uwe Volbrecht. Also important to know: The Giessen pools register all bathers by name and telephone number. This is the only way to trace infections and break chains of infection. If there is a sharp rise in the number of cases, the public health department can use these lists to warn those affected.
Always informed
All these corona rules apply with the respective pool-specific adjustments and until further notice also in the other Giessen pools. Up-to-date information can be found at www.facebook.com/giessenerbaeder and www.giessener-baeder.de. This website also contains a clearly visible link to the new e-ticket shop as well as further information for visiting the Giessen pools and a FAQ list.