Orlando moves to reopen senior centers; other community facilities closed over COVID-19

ORLANDO, Fla. — Despite the continued concern about the coronavirus, the city of Orlando has taken steps to reopen some of its community facilities that have been shut down since March.

With health and safety protocols in place, city leaders said they are now expanding access to places like senior centers and community centers.

Watch: Who will get the COVID-19 vaccine first? CDC meets this week to discuss distribution

People have not been able to use the facilities for months, and the city has been getting calls and emails from people telling them how much places like these mean to them and asking for them to be reopened.

Orlando resident Savannah Alicea saw the community center near her home shut down.

The city has shut down most community centers and most programs in March over concerns about the pandemic.

Around Orlando, outdoor equipment is still wrapped in plastic, and basketball hoops have been taken down to keep people from using them.

Watch: DeSantis: Schools to remain open this spring; virtual learning continues

“So, at that point, I think we all thought maybe this was going to be 30 days, 45 days,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.

As the days turned to months, people looking for a chance to exercise and senior citizens looking to get back to socializing called the city and said they wanted to return.

“We know that in addition to the health risk in terms of COVID, there’s also the isolation and the being able to socialize and stay mentally fit and physically fit,” Dyer said.

City leaders have decided to do a partial reopening of community centers and senior centers.

Orlando is also expanding after-school programs and renting out city facilities again.

Watch: Coronavirus: Moderna says new results show vaccine 94% effective; company seeking emergency OK today

Centers will limit capacity, do temperature checks upon entry, require masks and have sanitizing stations. They’ll also enforce social distancing and do extra cleaning.

The decision comes as Orange County Health Officer Dr. Raul Pino expressed concern Monday over a possible third wave of the virus.

“I’m making an urgent plea for everyone to follow CDC guidelines,” Pino said.

See the full report in the video above.

Cox Media Group