Kalahari to reopen in phases starting Friday

HURON TWP. — Erie County's largest water park and resort will fully reopen within the next week. Kalahari Resorts' retail shops, game room, spa, hotel accommodations, outdoor pools and animal park were scheduled to reopen Friday, and the outdoor and indoor waterparks will welcome guests June 19. Spokeswoman Karolyn Doro said the resort is following Responsible Restart state guidelines to reopen and prepared a 180-page plan that the resort worked on with state officials. Kalahari has and will continue to use hospital-grade disinfectants and has changed traffic patterns in restaurants and other areas for social distancing. Instructions for guests are posted around the resort. Within the next week, about half the 1,000 employees have chosen to return to work at Kalahari. More people will be hired as occupancy increases, Doro said. Returning employees have been required to take a coronavirus awareness class to learn necessary safety procedures. Housekeeping and food-and-beverage employees, for instance, will undergo refreshment training when necessary. Depending on where they work in the resort, employees will wear face coverings, either a mask or a shield. Resort guests are encouraged to follow state health guidelines. Additionally, only one person should be in line at a time, Doro said. Those staying in the hotel should send one person per group to check in and out prevent the spread of COVID-19. Room service and stay-over services will change, as staff will not enter occupied rooms. Guests can wear masks around the resort, but they're prohibited in the water since they can hard to breath through. According to the CDC, there's no evidence that COVID-19 can spread through pools and water. "Chlorine should inactivate the virus so we'll have safe conditions for guests," Doro said. Erie County commissioner Matt Old said it's "extremely important" that Kalahari reopens. He previously told the Register that small businesses depend on visitors to Kalahari and Cedar Point to stay open. "I'm confident they're prepared to open safely," Old said. Reach reporter Caitlin Nearhood at nearhood@sanduskyregister.com, follow her on Twitter @CaitlinNearhood and on Facebook.com/CaitliNearhood