“Though a more extensive epidemiological study is required, this research provided no evidence that park usage contributed to COVID-19 spread,” they wrote. The number of park visitors increased with density in Philadelphia, as did the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Citizen scientists assigned to each park observed how much and in what ways they were used and whether or not visitors were engaged in activities deemed to be “high-risk” for transmitting COVID-19, such as playing contact sports, not wearing a mask, or coughing without covering.
Overall, only a small percentage of park users, 22.7 per cent in Philadelphia and 1.2 per cent, in New York — never wore masks, according to the study. The majority of park users that were observed did not engage in high-risk behaviours — only 0.7 per cent in Philadelphia and 0.9 per cent in New York were observed frequently coughing or spitting without covering their mouths. And just 1.6 per cent and 12.9 per cent of people were observed frequently participating in contact sports in Philadelphia and New York City, respectively.
“While the municipalities that did close parks during the pandemic likely did so out of an abundance of caution, our work shows no evidence to support closing the parks during the pandemic,” Montalto said. “That person continued to visit parks during lockdowns and the early stages of the pandemic underscores the evident value of parks as a respite for urban residents during the early phases of the pandemic.”
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