By ASSOCIATED PRESS
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Two-thirds of Omaha’s outdoor swimming pools will be shuttered for half of the summer because of a lifeguard shortage.
The Omaha World-Herald reports that the city announced Friday that there aren’t enough lifeguard to safely monitor swimmers every day at all 15 locations. That means 10 of the pools will only open for half of the nine-week season.
Last summer, a lifeguard shortage caused similar disruptions to pool operations.
City officials cited the COVID-19 pandemic as the primary cause of the shortage. Training courses were canceled and the city lost an entire cycle of lifeguards in 2020.
The city only opened five pools that year.