From manufactured rinks in city parks, to lengthy swaths of iced-over rivers, CanadaB次元官网网址檚 outdoor public skating spaces may prove popular during the first full winter of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health experts say thatB次元官网网址檚 a good thing, as skating outdoors offers opportunity for socialization and exercise. And it poses relatively low risk of coronavirus transmission.

So go ahead and lace up those skates, they say, but be mindful of a couple caveats.

Risk goes up if those outdoor ice surfaces become too crowded, says Dr. Andrew Morris, an infectious disease expert with the University of Toronto, and safety precautions need to be followed in the moments before and after people hit the ice, where spread is more likely to occur.

B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址楾he activity (of skating) itself is safe, but if youB次元官网网址檝e got 20 people in an indoor change room, especially unmasked, maybe with poor ventilation, that would be a real challenge,B次元官网网址� Morris said.

B次元官网网址淏ut in general, the more outdoors and the less crowded, the better. And if people can skate or engage in any other safe outdoor activities this winter, they should absolutely be doing it.B次元官网网址�

Municipalities across the country are working on guidelines for their outdoor skating rinks, which can open anywhere from mid-November to early January, weather-depending.

Most cities are expected to cut on-ice capacity in order to better maintain a safe distance between skaters, and places like Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto and Ottawa say other safety measures will depend on public health advice at the time rinks open.

Calgary, home to many outdoor rinks including an artificial ice patch at Olympic Plaza, is also starting a pilot project of skating trails in parks across the city this winter, spokesperson Todd Reichardt said. The idea came together before the pandemic began, but will serve a safety purpose in giving skaters more space to spread out.

WinnipegB次元官网网址檚 river trail, which also includes spaces for curling and hockey, is one popular outdoor destination once it opens in the chilly city, typically around New YearB次元官网网址檚 Eve.

Clare MacKay, a spokesperson for the Forks Renewal Corporation which runs the trail, says the skating area can stretch up to 11 kilometres in length, depending on how the river freezes each year.

Public health guidelines will be implemented on the trail, MacKay says, but the wide-open space gives her confidence people will be able to keep a safe distance.

Still, Jason Kindrachuk, a virologist with the University of Manitoba, expects the river trail to look different this year if COVID cases continue to rise in Winnipeg.

The Manitoba capital reported 265 cases on Thursday and 136 more on Friday, and Kindrachuk says that while outdoor skating is low risk, danger can rise depending on how much COVID weB次元官网网址檙e seeing when rinks open.

B次元官网网址淭he trail is kind of a centerpiece for winter in Winnipeg, so it can get busy, and I donB次元官网网址檛 think we quite know what itB次元官网网址檚 going to look like (this year),B次元官网网址� Kindrachuk said. B次元官网网址淲e know the situation in Winnipeg has not been good, but is that going to be the case in January and February?

B次元官网网址淲hat we need to focus on is B次元官网网址� if we want to be able to do these things safely we need to make the right decisions now to try and reduce transmission.B次元官网网址�

OttawaB次元官网网址檚 popular Rideau Canal Skateway, which is operated by the National Capital Commission, says it will also follow public health directives as it prepares to open in January, and skaters will be required to adhere to guidelines that will be posted along the trail.

Raywat Deonandan, an epidemiologist with the University of Ottawa whoB次元官网网址檚 lived in the Canadian capital for 17 years, has seen how busy the canal can get at the height of the winter season.

But heB次元官网网址檚 not concerned with COVID spreading from person to person when theyB次元官网网址檙e gliding past each other on canalB次元官网网址檚 lengthy ice surface B次元官网网址� a six-metre wide track that winds 7.8 kilometres through the city.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of space and a lot of movement, which is good; it means youB次元官网网址檙e not being exposed to the same people for prolonged periods,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎nd the ventilation is, of course, second to none.B次元官网网址�

Crowding into one of the indoor spaces along the trail, such as a warming hut or public bathroom, isnB次元官网网址檛 advisable though, he added.

B次元官网网址淪o really itB次元官网网址檚 the stuff surrounding the skating thatB次元官网网址檚 the concern, not the skating itself.B次元官网网址�

Deonandan suggests putting on skates outside to avoid indoor locker areas that may be crowded. And he advises against huddling for warmth with people outside of your household while waiting your turn on an outdoor rink.

Masks should be worn in indoor environments to limit risk, Deonandan says. But wearing a face covering while skating isnB次元官网网址檛 necessary B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址渦nless maybe youB次元官网网址檙e ice dancing with someone and youB次元官网网址檙e face-to-face,B次元官网网址� he added.

Morris says skating with a mask likely wonB次元官网网址檛 be a requirement at most rinks, but it wonB次元官网网址檛 hurt to wear one anyway.

B次元官网网址淓very measure increases the safety of an activity,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淢y guess is that if people are masked, itB次元官网网址檚 going to make everyone feel safer. And I think thatB次元官网网址檚 part of the importance.B次元官网网址�

As for Winnipeggers skating on the river trail this winter, MacKay says making masks mandatory likely wonB次元官网网址檛 be necessary, but that could change based on public health directives.

B次元官网网址淩ight now things are changing so rapidly, but I mean, itB次元官网网址檚 Winnipeg in winter,B次元官网网址� she said with a laugh. B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檙e probably already wearing something over your face just to keep warm.B次元官网网址�

Melissa Couto Zuber, The Canadian Press

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