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CHELSEA – As restaurants, gyms and other businesses started to reopen under Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s amended COVID-19 order this week, more city facilities in Chelsea also opened their doors again to residents.

The Chelsea Community Center and Chelsea Public Library reopened to the public on Monday, May 11, with regular hours.

“These facilities will be opened but will maintain a cautious approach to occupancy and cleaning standards deemed necessary to ensure the health and safety of the visitors and the employees,” a post on the City of Chelsea’s Facebook page read. “We truly wish to thank our citizens and business owners for the sacrifices that have been made to keep us all safe and healthy. Let’s all make every effort to practice good hygiene and distancing but also to support our local businesses as we begin to rebuild Chelsea in a safe and responsible way.”

The community center’s hours of operation are Monday-Friday 6 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m.

All members will need to enter through the front doors, and the following three questions will be posted before entry is allowed:

• Have you been diagnosed with COVID-19, or have you come in contact with anyone who has?
• Are you experiencing coughing, shortness of breath or fever?
• Have you had any fever in the past 48 hours?

If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” then access will be denied.

Social distancing of 6 feet apart will be enforced throughout the building.

Members are not required, but encouraged, to wear their own face masks and gloves.

The facility’s staff will be wearing masks when around others and gloves while cleaning.

Room rentals for events cannot be booked until further notice.

Certain classes will resume if the number of people attending have adequate space to be 6 feet apart from each other.

The gym will be closed to basketball and pickleball until further notice.

In the weight room, members are asked to wipe off equipment before moving to another machine.

In addition, people must work out 6 feet apart at all times and abide by the maximum 8-person capacity.

The walking track will be open with no walkers in close proximity to each other.

Senior potluck day will resume on Thursdays. Tables will be spread out, and no more than four people will be allowed to sit at a table to play games.

The maximum capacity in the dining room will be 32 people.

The facility has been thoroughly cleaned during its closure.

Every membership has been extended by two months to ensure members do not lose any days of their memberships.

At the Chelsea Public Library, the same three questions will be posted on the door to determine whether a person will be permitted to enter the building.

Only 40 people will be allowed inside the library at one time.

Four public computers are available for use, but the meeting room remains closed.

No programming will take place for the remainder of May.

For more information about services at each facility, visit the facility’s Facebook page.

The following city recreational facilities reopened earlier this month: city athletic parks, recreational parks and walking trails, the archery park, the outdoor beach volleyball court and the tennis complex.

For updates regarding city services and facilities in the coming days, check the city’s Facebook page or Cityofchelsea.com.