The Arnold Recreation Center, 1695 Missouri State Road, will close on Wednesday (Nov. 18) because of surging COVID-19 cases, and the facility will remain closed until further notice, city officials announced today (Nov. 17).
City Administrator Bryan Richison said the city is not closing any of its other buildings at this time.
However, Arnold will return to a rotating work schedule on Wednesday, with half the city’s staff working one week and the other half the other week for the foreseeable future.
“It’s a combination of protecting our employees and the public,” Richison said about the rec center closure and the change to the staff’s work schedule. “Given where the transmission rates are and the high number of cases, we think it is best for the public and our employees to try to limit contact as much as possible.”
The Jefferson County Health Department reported 150 new COVID-19 cases today, and as of midnight Monday (Nov. 16), the county has 3,309 active cases and 1,558 individuals in quarantine because of contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus. There have been 9,477 cases and 94 deaths in the county since the pandemic began, according to the Health Department.
The Health Department also reported that as of Nov. 14, the seven-day rolling average was 95.05 cases per day/per 100,000 people in the county, which has a population of about 225,000.
The department said that is the highest seven-day rolling average the county has seen since the pandemic began in March.
“Our feeling is this is not getting better, and it is probably going to keep getting worse,” Richison said. “Also, with the holidays coming up, there is a concern people will be getting together in groups. We hope (the split employee schedule) will help minimize the chances employees, if they do become infected during holiday dinners or gatherings with family, spread that to other employees and the public.”
Richison said city officials do not know when the rec center will reopen or when normal staffing will resume.
“The rates have been rising and the county has been in the red for a while now,” Richison said. “The feeling was the growth in cases is extremely high and does not appear that it will abate any time soon. We tried to hold off and continue normal operations and hoped this would be a spike that we could get through. At this point, we are not convinced it is a spike.
“It will have to be a feeling on our part that things are improving, and there is less of a risk of infecting members of the public who interact with our staff.”
All classes and activities associated with the rec center also have been canceled. Participants in current classes and activities will receive pro-rated refunds.
Rec center members may choose to cancel their memberships or extend their memberships for the length of time the facility is closed. To cancel a membership, call 636-282-6648 or email ahukic@arnoldmo.org.
The public may contact rec center staff members from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday at 636-282-2380.
All rental fees that have been paid through the end of December will be refunded, the city said.
“From what I understand there is not going to be a massive amount of refunds,” Richison said. “We could return to normal in December, if things look better. If things continue, this could last into next year.”
The rec center closed for more than two months earlier this year, from March 18 through July 6, because of concerns about the spread of the virus.
