Oakland, Macomb, Wayne counties to allow pools to reopen

Some swimmers will rejoice now that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's latest easing of the coronavirus lockdown has allowed Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties to let public pools reopen — hopefully before the next heat wave hits.

Whitmer's executive order Monday allows public swimming pools to open June 8 provided they are outdoors and limit capacity to 50% of the bather capacity limits described in the Michigan Administrative Code and subject to guidance by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Indoor public swimming pools, however, must remain closed.

Whitmer's order comes just days after local health departments said on Thursday that all licensed public and private swimming pools in metro Detroit were to remain closed until further notice because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Licensed pools included those in apartments, condominiums, hotels, private clubs and neighborhood associations.

Therapy pools used strictly for treatment in health care settings were excluded from the closure.

More:Whitmer ends Michigan's stay home order, allows bars and restaurants to reopen June 8

But late Monday, Macomb County said in a news release that it was rescinding its closure order effective immediately and to contact the health department's environmental health division to schedule an opening inspection.

Oakland County said all public swimming pools there will remain closed until June 8, when Whitmer's order allows swimming pools to open with capacity restrictions.

On Tuesday, Wayne County and Detroit rescinded their public health orders. Wayne County Public Health Division spokesman Mike McElrath said the county was "looking to align ourselves with the governor's order."

Both reiterated that indoor public swimming pools remain closed.

More:Michigan stay home order lifted: What you can and can't do

Whitmer's order Monday returned joy to many families and young people.

"It's definitely going to be beneficial to get back in the water again. Just being in the water and being in the pool is going to be super nice," said Madeline Greaves, 16, of Farmington, a competitive swimmer for Farmington Glen Aquatic Club.

She is going to Purdue University to swim on a scholarship after she graduates high school next year and has been doing land training, cycling and even wearing a wet suit to swim in lakes in the meantime.

But open water swimming, she said, "is so much different than being in the pool." She's hoping indoor pools will be open in the fall.

"I think that this is a start, opening outdoor pools for kids and training," said her mother, Erin Greaves. "From our end, we are very happy. We'd love to get in there now."

Greaves said she believes social media petitions, such as one on change.org by Jack Higgins, a 12-year-old competitive swimmer from Bloomfield Hills, may have been helpful.

Higgins, a state champion in several events this year, started a petition Friday to open pools for competitive, limited purposes for swim practice in controlled and supervised environments in Michigan.

"I think the petition made a difference," Higgins said, adding that he, too, hopes indoor pools will be able to reopen because that is another place where he trains.

Many cities in metro Detroit, such as Huntington Woods, Oak Park and Southfield, previously decided their pools will be closed for the summer.

Oakland County Parks and Recreation also had said Red Oaks Waterpark in Madison Heights and Waterford Oaks Waterpark in Waterford would not open this season.

Bill Mullan, spokesman for the Oakland County Executive's office, said Tuesday that, at this time, the water parks will remain closed. And in Southfield, it also appears that the city pool will remain closed for the summer, said Michael Manion, Southfield's community relations director.

Sterling Heights is keeping its splash pad closed for the season, said Melanie Davis, community relations director.

But for some cities, the decision wasn't cut-and-dried.

Huron-Clinton Metroparks splash pads, pools, Turtle Cove Family Aquatic Center and slide at Stony Creek Metropark were closed, but officials were hoping to open them at one point in the summer, depending on factors such as the executive orders and safety training for lifeguards, a spokeswoman said last week.

Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @challreporter.