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true true true true true true true

What's The City Doing About Social Distancing At Seminary Park?

By Mitch Legan

Posted April 16, 2020

Seminary Park

(Mitch Legan, WTIU/WFIU News)

Special Series

This story is part of our City Limits: Coronavirus series. We're answering your questions about the effect the coronavirus pandemic is having on your life, your family and our community.

Government and health officials have encouraged Hoosiers to get outside and be active to stay healthy during the coronavirus shutdown.

Despite the open space parks and trails provide, social distancing has been difficult in some cases. Last week, Gov. Eric Holcomb ordered all state campgrounds closed because visitors were overwhelming Brown County.

READ MORE: Local Officials Want Governor To Close Brown Co. State Parks

One reader had similar concerns about congregations of people around Seminary Park in Bloomington and the Kroger next door. 

He wanted to know what the city was doing about the lack of social distancing there.

According to Bloomington Police Capt. Ryan Pedigo, the police department is attempting to educate Seminary Park users about social distancing requirements “in lieu of arrests for those found to be violating the Governor’s Order.”

“We have a directed patrol where officers are checking the park approximately once per hour in an effort to ensure that park users are abiding by the Governor's Executive Order,” Pedigo wrote in an email. “The overall guidance we have given our officers is to provide information to individuals they encounter about the ‘Social Distancing Requirements’ of the Executive Order that requires individuals to maintain at least six feet of space between themselves and others.”

Rev. Forrest Gilmore is the executive director of the Shalom Community Center on Walnut Street, just a couple blocks south of Seminary Park. He says the increase in people at the park and along Walnut is because the center has limited its indoor services to reduce contact with people and practice social distancing.  

“Right now, our day shelter has shifted to mostly takeout services and limiting about 10 to 12 people in the building at a time,” Gilmore says. “So they can use showers, do laundry, use the restrooms and receive some case management services. But all our meals are takeout. So that's why people are seeing more people outside right now.”

The weather is also warming up, so people are generally spending more time outside.

“I think the biggest thing is we want people to honestly stop calling the police,” Gilmore says. “It's not a helpful response.”

Instead of alerting authorities, who are aware of the issue, Gilmore suggests people donate clothes, cleaning supplies and other essentials to help keep Bloomington’s homeless population – and entire population – safe.

“We've had an incredible community response of helping create masks,” Gilmore says. “Bryan Park neighborhood went out of their way to create healthcare kits for people, sanitizer bottles for people to take and use so they have sanitizer. So, there's definitely a lot of creative ways for people to help.”

Both Pedigo and Gilmore say they will continue efforts to educate people about the novel coronavirus.

For the latest news and resources about COVID-19, bookmark our Coronavirus In Indiana page here.

Read Next

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