Making the best of an Easter in quarantine

SEATTLE -- This holiday weekend, over a dozen popular parks and beaches were closed in Seattle to reinforce social distancing measures.

Groups of people still showed up to the parks that were closed, including Gas Works Park and Green Lake.

Seattle city employees with the Parks and Recreation Department and Seattle Police officers turned eager park goers away.

A spokesperson with the city said it was a good educational opportunity for public health and safety.

“The Chief would like to say thank you to the community members who followed the Governor's Stay Home, Stay Healthy order and didn't go to the parks despite how difficult this might be.  Especially during this beautiful holiday weekend,” said Sgt. Lauren Truscott of the Seattle Police Department.

Plenty of families made the right decision this Easter Sunday and practiced social distancing measures even with their loved ones.

“It’s been hard, I’m a social person. Celia my daughter is a social person,” said Shannon McIntire. “We absolutely had plans to do Easter brunch with them and some extended family, but that of course got cancelled. We did do a Zoom meeting earlier so we’ve been keeping grandma and grandpa in the loop that way.”

Celia is 3-and-a-half-years-old. McIntire still got her an Easter basket and got her daughter out on an Easter egg hunt.

“This is definitely a lot more isolating than myself or my family is used to being,” said McIntire. “The sooner that we all abide by this and stick to a quarantine, the sooner we will hopefully see that curve flatten and we can all maintain normalcy again.”

The Seattle parks and beaches are scheduled to reopen again early Monday morning.