Showers stalls, social distancing and a lot of disinfectant - new rules of conduct at beaches and pools in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan has implemented new rules for visiting beaches and water parks in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Initially, the Baku city authorities suggested introducing an electronic system for reserving places on the beach, but in the end they abandoned this idea. However, the number of people on the beaches and in water parks will still be regulated in order to avoid large crowds.
The Azerbaijani Management Union of Medical Territorial Units has developed a new training manual, reports 1news. The rules listed in it apply to both visitors to beaches and water parks, and their owners. The rules it stipulates apply to both beaches and water parks visitors and their owners.
In particular:
- Maintaining social distance is mandatory: the minimum distance between umbrellas should be four meters, and between people – at least two meters, unless they are members of the same family.
- Only as many people as there are umbrellas and sunbeds (arranged according to social distance rules) will be allowed on the beaches.
- Only beaches with showers, changing rooms and sanitation staff are allowed to work.
- Pool water should contain the maximum acceptable level of disinfectants deemed safe by international standards.
- All beaches and water parks should have disinfectant dispensers.
- All water park and pool visitors must have their temperature taken at the entrance.
All these rules apply only to paid beaches. But in the vicinity of Baku there are also many public beaches that are not regulated by this body and where these new rules do not apply. There are no umbrellas, no beach chairs, no showers, nothing but a lifeguard station (and sometimes, not even that). Many people use these beaches because they are free. It is still unknown how the authorities are going to monitor compliance on these beaches.
The quarantine regime in Azerbaijan is scheduled to be lifted completely starting June 1. There is so far no information about extending it, although the epidemiological situation in the country is still concerning. The second wave of infection continues to run rampid, and on May 28, the country reported 191 new cases – a record high.
Beach season in Azerbaijan usually opens officially in mid-June.
