{"id":432756,"date":"2020-05-21T09:59:30","date_gmt":"2020-05-21T16:59:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=432756"},"modified":"2020-05-21T11:08:58","modified_gmt":"2020-05-21T18:08:58","slug":"swimmers-from-new-jersey-petition-governor-to-reopen-pools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/swimmers-from-new-jersey-petition-governor-to-reopen-pools\/","title":{"rendered":"Swimmers from New Jersey Petition Governor to Reopen Pools"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two high school swimmers from New Jersey have started a petition to Governor Phil Murphy to reopen pools in the state.<\/p>\n

Jerry Zheng<\/strong> and Andy Moss,<\/strong> both high school sophomores, are teammates at Somerset Hills YMCA. They posted the petition to change.org earlier this week<\/a> and as of Thursday afternoon have gotten close to 7,700 signatures.<\/p>\n

\u201cAcross the state, thousands of talented swimmers have lost the feel for the water, which is essential for our sport,\u201d the swimmers write. \u201cOnce swimmers stop training for more than two weeks, they begin to lose their aerobic endurance and thus performance decreases dramatically as time goes on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zheng and Moss also include a link to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on transmission risk of COVID-19 in water<\/a> and USA Swimming\u2019s guidelines.<\/p>\n

We do understand that we need to take safety precautions seriously as well as practice social distancing during our practices. Here is USA Swimming’s Guidance to how this could safely work<\/a>. Please trust the maturity of competitive athletes: we are focused and serious and responsible. If you grant us the privilege to return to swimming we will not disappoint you or the people of New Jersey. Perhaps swimming pools across the state used for training could be open for competitive swimmers to train until there is full public access.<\/em><\/p>\n

We appreciate everything the government is doing to keep people safe, however the government should trust serious swimmers like us to return to the pools in a responsible way. Our mental and physical health depends on it.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The petition was featured on Fox News Thursday<\/a>, leading to a surge in signatures.<\/p>\n

According to New Jersey government data<\/a>, the state has seen 150,399 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 10,747 deaths as of Thursday. Somerset County, where the boys\u2019 team is based, is on the low end for the state but still gravely impacted with 4,349 cases and 384 deaths. Somerset County reported 36 new cases in the latest data.<\/p>\n

Where swimming pools fall in the New Jersey reopening plan remains a question. The three-step \u201cRoad Back<\/a>\u201d states that \u201coutdoor recreation (e.g., hiking) and beach visits allowed with social distancing\u201d are permitted in Stage 1. It\u2019s likely that swimming pools would require reaching at least Stage 2, which allows \u201cmore activities with proper safeguards, capacity limitations and sanitation protocols.\u201d New Jersey\u2019s COVID-19 frequently asked questions don\u2019t provide much more guidance on the issue of pools<\/a> beyond differentiating the issue of safety in the water and risks for transmission outside of the pool (such as community transmission or infected surfaces).<\/p>\n

A similar petition was launched Thursday<\/a> by another swimmer, Jacob Sherman,<\/strong> from Stamford, Connecticut.<\/p>\n

Swimming Through a Pandemic<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The postponements and cancellations wrought by COVID-19 haven\u2019t just affected the Olympics and the ranks of elite swimmers. They\u2019ve trickled down to neighborhood clubs and summer youth leagues, affecting thousands of recreational and competitive swimmers alike. Here is some of our coverage of COVID-19\u2019s effect on the American summer swimming calendar.<\/em><\/p>\n