The city of Paterson has closed all its city parks due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh said that it had to be done because too many people were crowding the parks and violating the social distancing directives that help prevent spreading the illness.

“As a compact city, we are so close to one another…I observed walking through the park last weekend that the people were not taking social distancing techniques seriously,” the mayor says. “So, they left me with no other choice than to take the drastic action of declaring parks closed until further notice.”

Sayegh says that the ruling is to help Paterson residents protect themselves.

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“The more disciplined we are, the less difficult this will be. And I know it’s painful for people,” the mayor says. “This is an unknown virus and all we know is social distancing. So, I have to take aggressive action.”

Sayegh says that closing the parks does not mean that people who live in Paterson should congregate elsewhere. He says that he understands that people will still want to get out of their homes. He asks that everyone be patient and stay inside as much as possible.”

“Take a walk in the neighborhood. Walk down the street. If you have a backyard, make the most of your backyard. It’s all about readjusting.”

Paterson police officers will be out to help spread the word about the closed parks. The mayor says that police are willing to ask people to leave if they refuse to stay out of the park.