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NYC pools opening in August after coronavirus shutdown: budget

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Here’s some good news for New Yorkers seeking to beat the summer heat.

About a quarter of the city’s public outdoor swimming pools that have been closed because of the coronavirus pandemic and associated budget crisis will open to the public on Aug. 1, according to budget documents released by City Hall late Tuesday.

The Parks Department will welcome swimmers at 15 of its 53 pools across the five boroughs in August. They include Crotona, Mullaly and Haffen in the Bronx; Sunset, Betsy Head and K-Pool in Brooklyn; Hamilton Fish, Jackie Robinson, Wagner and Marcus Garvey in Manhattan; Astoria, Liberty and Fisher in Queens; and Lyons and Tottenville on Staten Island.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council agreed to restore $9.9 million to the Parks Department budget to hire 716 lifeguards, pools staff and fund sprinklers and water fountains.

De Blasio had slashed the entire $12 million budget for public pools in April over coronavirus-related safety concerns as he stared down a 10-figure budget crunch.

Swimming at public beaches restarts Wednesday.

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Patria Henriques

Update: 2024-08-29