After recent reports of overcrowding at state parks and beaches, the Lake George Regional Park in Skowhegan and Canaan has decided to close in order to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. Meanwhile, the Waterville Rec Department has cited mental health as a reason for keeping its walkways open in the midst of the pandemic.

The board of directors of Lake George Regional Park decided to close the park at a meeting Tuesday night.

Daryl White, executive director for the park, said in a phone call on Wednesday that the park would be closed beginning Thursday.

“The gates will be locked and the park will be formally closed by tomorrow, and it will stay closed until the end of April,” White said.

White said the board was on the fence about whether to close before Tuesday’s meeting.

“We want to be an outlet for people to get out and enjoy the trails during this time, but we also have to be responsible,” White said on Tuesday.

The park will reopen tentatively April 30, when the statewide stay-at-home order, implemented on Tuesday, is set to be lifted.

The stay-at-home order restricts residents from leaving their homes unless they have an essential job or essential personal reasons such as getting food, gas or receiving healthcare.

Residents may leave their homes to exercise but must abide by the 6-foot social distancing guidelines.

Overcrowding at parks and beaches has been reported statewide and lead to the closure of 48 sites by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry last week.

The Vaughan Woods and Historic Homestead in Hallowell announced on Sunday it would close due to mass overcrowding over the past weekend.

White said the staff hadn’t noticed overcrowding at Lake George, but since the park is affiliated with the state, it followed suit closing down.

The Waterville Parks & Recreation Department announced Monday that its sites will remain open.

“We’re happy to report that we haven’t seen people crowded together or ignoring social distancing,” said Matt Skehan, director of the Parks & Rec Department. “So we’re not closing yet. That would be our last-ditch effort.”

In a post on the department’s Facebook page, mental health was cited as a reason the locations, which include the River Walk and Quarry Road Trails, would remain open for the time being.

“The CDC has flagged mental health as a top concern associated with COVID-19 as social distancing may take a toll on mental health,” the post said. “Parks provide a connection to the outdoors and green space as well as opportunities for physical activity, which reduces stress and improves mental health.”

Nevertheless, the department has closed Waterville’s playgrounds, ball fields and basketball courts because of social distancing concerns amid the pandemic.

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