COVID-19 Cluster Closes Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center through Mid-August

Charlotte Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center

Photo Courtesy: Mike Comer/ProSwimVisuals.com

The Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center will be closed through mid-August after five employees have tested positive for COVID-19.

The Charlotte Observer reported last week that two lifeguards and two supervisors in the county’s employ tested positive for coronavirus. A fifth was added this week, leading to the aquatic center being closed through Aug. 17.

“This will allow affected staff to complete the required quarantine period and the facility to be deep cleaned and disinfected,” the county said in a statement. “There is no indication that any patrons were exposed.”

Staffers rotate between the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center and Double Oaks Family Aquatic Center, but the latter will remain open as no positive cases have been associated with the facility.

The Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center reopened after the coronavirus lockdowns on June 15 with reduced hours and capacity (i.e. one swimmer per lane, one-hour sessions). Double Oaks opened soon after with similar restrictions.

The Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center is one of the South’s premier aquatic venues, a spot for national-level meets like the Pro Swim Series.

Mecklenburg County has seen 20,261 COVID-19 cases and 195 deaths, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services data. The county, which includes the city of Charlotte, is North Carolina’s most populous but only by a slight margin over Wake County, which has just 10,691 cases. At 185 cases per 10,000 residents, Mecklenburg County has one of the highest per capita rates in the state.

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