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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 267-11
July 22, 2011

MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES EXTENDED HOURS AT ALL NEW YORK CITY POOLS

Pools Will Stay Open Until 8 PM Tonight and Will Be Open from 10 AM to 8 PM Tomorrow, and Spray Showers in Playgrounds Will Remain On Until 9 PM

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe today announced that due to the extreme heat, hours at New York City pools will be extended. Pools will close at 8 PM tonight and be open from 10 AM to 8 PM on Saturday. These hours will be in effect at all 54 pools across the City. To find the pool nearest you, call 311 or visit www.nyc.gov. In addition, the 690 spray showers in the City’s parks and playgrounds, which are typically turned off between 6 and 7 PM in moderate temperatures, will remain on until 9 PM tonight and Saturday night.

“The City’s pools are great places to cool off and beat the heat,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “During this heat wave, New Yorkers should take advantage of the free places around the City that offer relief from the heat: pools, spray showers, beaches and cooling centers. Remember to stay out of the sun, drink plenty of water, and check on your friends and family who may be at risk for heat-related illnesses.”

Air-conditioned City cooling centers will be open through Saturday. Cooling centers are public places, such as Department for the Aging senior centers and New York City Housing Authority and Salvation Army community centers, where air conditioning is available. To find the cooling center closest to you, call 311 or visit www.nyc.gov.

Most City beaches, including Coney Island Beach, Rockaway Beach, Orchard Beach, Manhattan Beach and Wolfe’s Pond Beach, are open and unaffected by the fire at a wastewater treatment plant in Manhattan, which caused untreated wastewater to be discharged into the Hudson River. However, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recommends that, now through Monday, New Yorkers not swim at the following beaches: South Beach, Midland Beach and Cedar Grove Beach in Staten Island; and Sea Gate in Brooklyn. Also, the Hudson River, the East River from the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge to the Verrazano Bridge, the Harlem River and the Kill Van Kull to the Goethals Bridge are not fit for recreational activities such as swimming, canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing or any other water activity that would entail possible direct contact now through Monday. Fish caught from those waterways should not be eaten.

During this period of extreme heat, New Yorkers should take precautions including staying out of the sun as much as possible. When in the sun, wear sunscreen and a hat to protect your face and head. Remember to check on family and friends as heat can affect people differently. Seniors, young children, and people with chronic medical or mental health conditions and those who take certain medications have a higher risk of heat-related illnesses. If you feel sick from the heat, go to a cool place, rest and drink water. Call your doctor or go to the emergency department right away if you have these symptoms:

  • Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
  • Headache
  • Dizziness or fainting
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Weakness
  • Confusion, irritability, hallucinations, disorientation
  • Hot, dry skin or cold, clammy skin.

The risk for getting sick during a heat wave is increased for people who:

  • Are younger than five, or older than 64
  • Have chronic medical or mental health conditions
  • Take medications, which can disrupt the regulation of body temperature
  • Are confined to their beds or unable to leave their homes
  • Are overweight






MEDIA CONTACT:


Stu Loeser / Julie Wood   (212) 788-2958

Vickie Karp (Parks)   (212) 360-1311



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