Some high school swimmers are furious at Gov. Phil Murphy for issuing a pause on indoor winter sports until January.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that there is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread through swimming pools. The swimmers say that they are confused as to why the governor would put a stop to their season.
“I mean, they’re doing everything right and they are basically just being punished,” says Robert Ross, whose daughter Samantha swims competitively for Manalapan High School.
Murphy said that the sports will be on hold until at least Jan. 2 because of a rise in COVID-19 infections.
“It’s taking a month of my training away, where we can only be in our houses doing dry land [exercises,]” Samantha Ross says.
Samantha is a high school junior and wants to swim in college. She says that not being able to practice for at least a month may impact her entire future.
The CDC says that proper disinfection of pools and hot tubs kills the coronavirus and that there is no evidence that it can spread through water.
And the swimmers say that they already take the proper precautions against the virus.
“I have to go in with masks on. Their temperature gets checked at the door. They are not allowed to use the changing rooms,” says Robert Ross.
“We are all six feet apart and on the deck when we put our stuff away,” Samantha Ross says.
The swimmers say that they can practice a few techniques at home, but that it is not the same as doing it in the poll. They are hoping that Murphy will reverse his decision. But there is no indication that this will be the case.