Burbank parks closed for Easter holiday to help slow the coronavirus
Easter celebrations will have to be kept indoors and held online as Burbank will close all city parks for the weekend as a precautionary measure to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus and encourage social distancing.
The closures will remain in effect throughout the holiday, lasting from midnight Saturday until Monday morning. They are meant to deter any large gatherings from taking place. Anyone found in violation of the order may be charged with a misdemeanor.
Similar closures were also announced for public parks in Glendale, Oxnard as well as the city of Los Angeles and L.A. County.
Burbank Mayor Sharon Springer said in a statement the order was a regrettable but necessary action to help safeguard the health and safety of the community.
“This is a critical week, and we can’t take any chances with anyone’s health during this COVID-19 crisis,†she said. “We encourage people to celebrate at home or virtually with families, friends and their worship groups.â€
Despite the closures, residents aren’t prohibited from engaging in any outdoor activity, according to a statement from the city. Individuals and families can still go on strolls through their neighborhoods or bike rides, provided they practice proper social distancing.
Closing the city’s parks has just been one of several measures Burbank has implemented recently to help stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Last month, the city issued a new set of social-distancing rules for essential businesses requiring customers waiting in line to enter a store to maintain a 6-foot buffer from one another. Officials also mandated that customers and employees at the businesses wear masks that cover the nose and mouth.
Burbank also announced on Thursday the automation of walk signals at all of the city’s traffic intersections, so pedestrians will no longer have to press a button to cross the street and potentially transmit the virus.
The city has 96 confirmed cases of the virus that causes COVID-19, according to figures released on Friday by the L.A. County Department of Public Health.
Of those cases, at least two people have died from complications caused by the virus. The deaths were of residents at the Alameda Care Center, which experienced a surge in infections of the coronavirus when 17 people tested positive for it in late-March, according to previous reports.
