Swimming Pool Regulations in the COVID-19 Era: Assessing Acceptability and Compliance in Greek Hotels in Two Consecutive Summer Touristic Periods
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
3.1. Managers’ Beliefs on the Applicability of Obligations, Acceptibility, and Main Challenges Affecting Compliance
3.2. Compliance with the National Regulations Regarding the Function of the Pools in Hotel Facilities
3.3. Managers’ Beliefs and Compliance with Obligations
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Category of Requirements | Greek Sanitary Degree | New COVID-19 Regulation |
---|---|---|
Types of pools allowed | All types of pools | Outdoor pools only |
Pool loading | Setting a maximum allowed number of people in the pool according to technical specifications | Outdoor pools: 1 person/5 m2 |
Minimum distancing for visitors | None | 2 m inside the pool |
Water circulation | Every 4 h Pools ≥ 750 m3 24 h circulation | Every 4 h |
Chlorination | Continuous chlorination | Continuous chlorination |
Chlorine measurement | Level of free chlorine in the pool water: 0.4–0.7 ppm, measurements: 2/day | Level of free chlorine in the pool water: Pools: 1–3 ppm, measurement every 4 h Spa: <5 ppm, measurement every 1 h |
pH measurement | 7.2–8.2, measurement once a day | 7.2–8.2 Pools: measurement every 8 h Spa: measurement every 2 h |
Microbiological testing | At least once per week | At least twice per week |
Chemical testing | Chlorine measurement: 2/day pH measurement: once a day Alkaline measurement: once a day | Chlorine measurement: every 4 h (for spas every 1 h) pH measurement: every 8 h (for spas every 2 h) |
Testing for Legionella spp. | At least once every six months | At least once every three months |
Cleaning of pool facilities | Cleaning the pool whenever necessary | Organized cleaning and disinfection schedule, emphasis on cleaning of equipment, such as lockers, chaise longues, and towels |
Personal hygiene rules | Personal hygiene rules, showering before swimming, foot disinfecting equipment in use | Personal hygiene rules, availability of disinfectant and soap in showers, separation of the showers with plexiglass, showering before swimming, foot disinfecting equipment in use |
Obligation | Compliance (%) Touristic Period 2020–2021 |
---|---|
Chlorination | |
Automatic continuous chlorination | 164/567 (28.9%) |
Chlorination every day | 335/567 (59.1%) |
Chlorination once per week | 13/567 (2.3%) |
Level of free chlorine in the pool water | |
0.4–0.7 mg/L | 113/567 (19.9%) |
1–3 mg/L | 401//567 (70.7%) |
Up to 5 mg/L | 52/567 (9.2%) |
More than 5 mg/L | 1/567 (0.2%) |
Circulation rates | |
Circulation rate 4 h | 336/567 (59.3%) |
Circulation rate 6–8 h | 178/567 (31.4%) |
Circulation rate 12 h | 53/567 (9.4%) |
Microbiological testing of pool water | |
Once per week | 69/438 (15.8%) |
Twice per week | 26/438 (5.9%) |
At least once per month | 261/438 (60.0%) |
Depending on water quality | 82/438 (18.7%) |
Testing for Legionella spp. | |
Once per week | 33/427 (7.7%) |
Twice per week | 12/427 (2.8%) |
Twice per month | 67/427 (15.7%) |
Once per month | 210/427 (49.2%) |
Whenever considered necessary | 105/427 (24.6%) |
Chemical testing of pool water | |
At least once per week | 90/429 (21.0%) |
At least once per month | 249/429 (58.0%) |
Whenever considered necessary | 90/429 (21.0%) |
Cleaning obligations, of pool and surroundings | |
Cleaning obligations | 565/567 (99.7%) |
Disinfection obligations | 557/567 (98.2%) |
Cleaning the pool daily | 473/567 (83.4%) |
Cleaning the pool once a week * | 24/567 (4.2%) |
Cleaning the pool twice a week | 32/567 (5.6%) |
Cleaning the pool once a month | 5/567 (0.9%) |
Cleaning the pool after every use | 11/567 (1.9%) |
Cleaning the pool whenever necessary | 19/567 (3.4%) |
Never | 3/567 (0.5%) |
Personal hygiene measures | |
Showering before swimming | 552/567 (97.4%) |
Availability of disinfectant and soap in showers | 453/567 (79.9%) |
Separation of the showers with plexiglass | 236/567 (41.6%) |
Foot disinfecting equipment in use | 97/537 (18.1%) |
Personal hygiene rules respected by users | 371/567 (65.4%) |
Personal hygiene rule respected by the staff | 525/567 (92.6%) |
Social distancing measures | |
Keeping the number of bathers allowed per surface area in the pool | 427/567 (75.3%) |
Keeping distances in the pool by the users | 245/567 (43.2%) |
Keeping distances by the users after a warning | 253/567 (44.6%) |
Keeping distances in the pool not possible | 69/567 (12.2%) |
High Acceptability of Obligation by Hotel Managers * | Association of Acceptability and Actual Compliance (p) ** |
---|---|
Social distancing obligations | Estimation of the maximum permitted number of people in the pool before opening (p = 0.03) Labels for keeping distances inside and outside the pool (p < 0.001) Keeping the number of bathers allowed per surface area in the pool (p < 0.001) |
Cleaning and disinfecting obligations | Personnel trained in the new regulations (p = 0.01) Frequency of cleaning (p = 0.52) Frequency of disinfection (p = 0.45) Increase in the level of free chlorine in the pool water (p < 0.06) Use of automatic continuous chlorination (p = 0.03) |
Frequency of testing obligations | Testing for microbiological parameters (p < 0.001) Testing for chemical parameters (p < 0.001) Testing for Legionella spp. (p < 0.001) Obligation of frequency of microbiological testing met (p = 0.24) Obligation of frequency of chemical testing met (p = 0.33) Obligation of frequency of testing for Legionella spp. met (p = 0.99) |
Residual chlorine limits obligation | Meeting residual chlorine limits set by regulation (p = 0.28) |
Chlorine and pH measurement obligations | Frequency of chlorine measurement (p = 0.08) Meeting residual chlorine limits set by regulation (p = 0.10) Frequency of pH measurement (p = 0.87) Measurement of pH was followed by a respective correction of chlorine concentration (p = 0.97) |
Personal hygiene regulations | Labels and advice for the use of showers before and after swimming (p = 0.01) Availability of disinfectant and soap in showers (p < 0.001) Personal hygiene rules respected by users (p < 0.001) Personal hygiene rules respected by the staff (p < 0.001) Foot disinfecting equipment in use (p = 0.21) Separation of the showers with plexiglass (p = 0.05) |
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Mellou, K.; Mplougoura, A.; Mandilara, G.; Papadakis, A.; Chochlakis, D.; Psaroulaki, A.; Mavridou, A. Swimming Pool Regulations in the COVID-19 Era: Assessing Acceptability and Compliance in Greek Hotels in Two Consecutive Summer Touristic Periods. Water 2022, 14, 796. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14050796
Mellou K, Mplougoura A, Mandilara G, Papadakis A, Chochlakis D, Psaroulaki A, Mavridou A. Swimming Pool Regulations in the COVID-19 Era: Assessing Acceptability and Compliance in Greek Hotels in Two Consecutive Summer Touristic Periods. Water. 2022; 14(5):796. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14050796
Chicago/Turabian StyleMellou, Kassiani, Athina Mplougoura, Georgia Mandilara, Antonios Papadakis, Dimosthenis Chochlakis, Anna Psaroulaki, and Athena Mavridou. 2022. "Swimming Pool Regulations in the COVID-19 Era: Assessing Acceptability and Compliance in Greek Hotels in Two Consecutive Summer Touristic Periods" Water 14, no. 5: 796. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14050796