Parks and Rec facilities to reopen

McMinnville Parks and Recreation facilities will reopen Monday, Jan. 24, after a two-week COVID-related closure.

The aquatic center and senior center will open at 9 a.m. Monday. The community center, which is regularly closed on Mondays, will reopen at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

All three indoor spaces closed Jan. 8 as COVID positive rates rose throughout Yamhill County. City officials said they needed  to deal with staff absences and to protect the community from the spread of the virus. 

"We were successful; cases are declining from what they were 10 days ago," said Noelle Amaya, communications director for the city.

Now that case rates are falling, the senior center, aquatic center and community center can reopen. But the city continues to monitor staffing levels, Amaya said.

She said patrons should keep watching the city website, mcminnvilleoregon.gov, and social media sites to make sure there aren't time changes or brief closures in coming weeks. 

"We're super grateful that people have been understanding" during the closure, Amaya said. "Residents here tend to be as understanding as they are community-minded."

Parks have remained open as usual.

Some public buildings remained closed, including the lobbies of city hall, the fire department and the community development center, the Fifth Street building where planning and offices are located.