Mayor Turner urges Houstonians to maintain distance so parks can remain open

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner checked local parks Saturday to see if people are keeping their social distance.

“Spread out a little bit more over there,” Turner told a group of teens at Buffalo Bayou. “Make sure you engage in social distancing.”

After days of social distancing inside, many people are taking advantage of Houston’s parks.

“It’s very good mentally,” said Cindy Lopez. “It just helps you feel a lot better.”

“You’ve got to get out of the house,” said Steve Lopez. “You can’t just sit in the house all day long and doing nothing. We’re trying to keep our social distancing.”

MORE: Stay updated on the latest local COVID-19 cases

While Turner toured parks on Saturday he did have to remind a few groups to spread out.

“Most of the people are engaging in social distancing,” said Turner. “You got some that just need a gentle reminder.”

“As long as it helps us keep the parks open, I don’t mind being told to just spread out a little bit more,” said one park visitor.

Across the country, some parks and beaches are closed. Mayor Turner has expressed the possibility of stricter enforcement at parks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but so far that’s not the case.

“People are not going to just stay stuck up in their homes,” said Turner. “There’s no reason based on what I’m seeing to close the parks. As long as people take it seriously and spread out like I’m seeing, I’m pleased.”

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