The cities of Enumclaw and Buckley have announced that their parks have closed in order to discourage people from gathering in groups.

Initially, Buckley Mayor Pat Johnson said she wasn’t considering closing her city’s playgrounds and sports courts, since she wanted people to have the ability to go outside and have a little recreation.

But she wasn’t happy with what she saw over the last weekend.

“There were kids all over the playground equipment, at the skate park,” she said in a March 23 interview. “We can spray them with a sanitizer, the swing sets and the slide, but how long does it last? And the next thing you know, you have kids all over it again… I was really disappointed with a lot of people out there.”

Both cities are restricting the use of playground equipment, which includes swings and jungle-gyms, sports courts and skate parks, and the dog park in Enumclaw.

Trails are so far still open for use, but the cities encourage people to practice social distancing while out walking.

Local police will be patrolling city parks to ensure equipment is not being used.