#Eight NYC public pools will open Friday, de Blasio says

Some of the city’s outdoor public swimming pools will finally open as soon as Friday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday.

“We’re opening up some key pools around the city and this is going to be wonderful for neighborhood residents, especially young people,” de Blasio said during his daily City Hall press briefing, adding, “That’s good news for this city.”

Eight of the city’s 53 public pools will open on Friday following a reopening delay caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the city’s related budget crisis.

Those pools include: Mullaly in The Bronx; Liberty and Fisher in Queens; Sunset and Kosciusko in Brooklyn; Wagner in Manhattan; and Tottenville and Lyons on Staten Island.

“We’re really excited our public pools will be opening up again starting tomorrow,” Hizzoner said, noting, “It’s also going to provide a lot of wonderful relief.”

De Blasio said that seven more public pools across the five boroughs will open next Friday, but he did not immediately announce which ones.

The mayor said that anyone going to the pools will have to abide by social distancing rules and wear face coverings when not in the pools.

“Chlorine is our friend in fighting the coronavirus, but we still have to be really careful about crowding,” de Blasio said.

The mayor added, “We’re going to do our best to give as many people the opportunity to experience those pools.”