Are outdoor ice rinks safe? Experts say skating is low risk, but precautions needed

From manufactured rinks in city parks, to lengthy swaths of iced-over rivers, Canada's outdoor public skating spaces may prove popular during the first full winter of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health experts say that's 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.

"'The activity (of skating) itself is safe, but if you've got 20 people in an indoor change room, especially unmasked, maybe with poor ventilation, that would be a real challenge," Morris said.

"But 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."

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.

Winnipeg's 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 Year's 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 we're seeing when rinks open.

"The trail is kind of a centerpiece for winter in Winnipeg, so it can get busy, and I don't think we quite know what it's going to look like (this year)," Kindrachuk said. "We know the situation in Winnipeg has not been good, but is that going to be the case in January and February?

"What we need to focus on is -- if we want to be able to do these things safely we need to make the right decisions now to try and reduce transmission."

Ottawa's 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 who's lived in the Canadian capital for 17 years, has seen how busy the canal can get at the height of the winter season.

But he's not concerned with COVID spreading from person to person when they're gliding past each other on canal's lengthy ice surface -- a six-metre wide track that winds 7.8 kilometres through the city.

"There's a lot of space and a lot of movement, which is good; it means you're not being exposed to the same people for prolonged periods," he said. "And the ventilation is, of course, second to none."

Crowding into one of the indoor spaces along the trail, such as a warming hut or public bathroom, isn't advisable though, he added.

"So really it's the stuff surrounding the skating that's the concern, not the skating itself."

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 isn't necessary -- "unless maybe you're ice dancing with someone and you're face-to-face," he added.

Morris says skating with a mask likely won't be a requirement at most rinks, but it won't hurt to wear one anyway.

"Every measure increases the safety of an activity," he said. "My guess is that if people are masked, it's going to make everyone feel safer. And I think that's part of the importance."

As for Winnipeggers skating on the river trail this winter, MacKay says making masks mandatory likely won't be necessary, but that could change based on public health directives.

"Right now things are changing so rapidly, but I mean, it's Winnipeg in winter," she said with a laugh. "You're probably already wearing something over your face just to keep warm."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2020.