Greensburg YMCA closes after report of covid-19 exposure

After a soft reopening last week, the Greensburg YMCA closed again Friday afternoon and will remain shut down until at least Monday to allow time to sanitize after a person who used the facility tested positive for covid-19, YMCA officials said.

The YMCA closed when the state Department of Health notified staff Friday afternoon someone with the summer camp had covid-19, said Suzanne Printz, interim director. The infected person felt ill Wednesday, was tested for coronavirus and did not return to the facility, Printz said.

Federal regulations prevent YMCA officials from disclosing whether the person was a child or staff member, or the person’s gender, according to Printz.

The Health Department initiated tracing to determine who had been in contact with the covid-19 patient. Printz declined to say if any staff members had to be tested.

By following state Health Department protocols, Printz said, “we’re hoping to open up on Tuesday.”

The YMCA staff immediately started to “deep clean” the building, Printz said. Maintenance workers were spraying the treadmills and scrubbing the floors Friday evening.

The staff intended to spend about six hours cleaning Friday, then eight more Saturday, before “letting the building rest,” said Kris Peters, interim facilities director.

Following the June 10-12 soft opening, the YMCA had reopened its gymnasium, with health and safety guidelines in place limiting how many people could be in a certain area.

It also was taking reservations this week for its pool and group exercise areas. There are fewer treadmills open for use now and fewer lanes in the swimming pool open for use because of the restrictions, Printz said.