KITCHENER -- If your little ones have been getting antsy being home for so long, there may be a reprieve in sight.
Playgrounds in city parks across the region will reopen on Friday as Ontario enters Stage 3 of the province's reopening plan.
In news releases issued on Friday, Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo all announced that they would be opening dozens of them starting on July 17. Cambridge alone has more than 60 playgrounds in its parks.
"I know it has not been easy for little ones to see the closed-off playgrounds over the last months," acknowledges Cambridge Mayor Kathryn McGarry.
"However, it’s important that we don’t end up taking steps backward. I urge parents to keep safety top of mind and use a common-sense approach when at the playgrounds with their children."
People using playgrounds are still asked to maintain physical distance and to wash their hands before and after playing.
Masks aren't required on playgrounds but can still be considered as an extra precaution.
Public playgrounds first closed back in March as the government took lockdown measures in an effort to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
There have been 1,349 cases of COVID-19 in Waterloo Region since the pandemic began.
The region currently has 48 active known cases,
