It appeared to be a typical weekday morning Thursday at Pueblo City Park, but caution tape wrapped around gazebos near the playground indicated something was different.

The morning after Colorado Gov. Jared Polis issued a stay-at-home order because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the park was full of joggers, dog walkers, disc golfers, skateboarders and others getting fresh air and exercise.

Pueblo city and county officials closed portions of City Park on Thursday afternoon, but not before people flocked there for one last jaunt.

The playground area was closed early Thursday until the health emergency is over. The tennis courts, disc golf course and the skate park were also closed later in the day.

"They told us to tape off all of these areas," said John Armijo, a Pueblo Parks and Recreation caretaker, who was tasked with wrapping caution tape on gathering sites across the historic recreation area.

Although several people went to the Bark Park early Thursday, it was closed by 10 a.m., forcing dog owners to rethink options.

Heidi Petrie and her son Topher were walking through the park and playing football catch for some exercise. The mother said she agrees with the governor’s order.

"I think it’s a good thing, because I think that’s how we are going to get it (coronavirus) under control," she said.

"I see that other states and other countries are doing this, and it is making a difference," Topher Petrie chimed in.

However, the mother and son said they had hoped the park would not get shuttered.

"It would be sad if they closed the parks down," Heidi Petrie said.

Topher said he wasn’t happy to see people disregarding policies set by health officials in other states and in Pueblo.

"I saw people on beaches for spring break, and then you see that students in Tampa (Florida) now have the virus. That’s really going to spread things," he said.

"I think the quicker we get it under control, the better."

Topher Petrie said if it weren’t for outdoor activity, he would just be sitting at home.

"This is good for our mentality to be able to get out," he said.

Heidi Petrie said for the most part, people in Pueblo who have been walking on trails and through the park seem to practice social distancing — but she said there were too many who were not.

"Here at the park, there is a lot of space. We can come here and walk and toss the ball for exercise. But if we see people coming, we can move away," she said. "We were walking the nature trail. We decided not to go there today because people were not separating. We separate when others walk by. They just don’t do the social distancing at all."

The playground should have closed before Thursday, a dog walker said. Picnic areas and playgrounds were closed that day.

"That really grossed me out, seeing all the kids there yesterday right next to each other — and they were all touching everything," the woman said. "We really haven’t come in close contact with people walking through the park."

She and another dog walker said they got dirty looks from drivers on the first day of the stay-in-place order.

"But the park is not closed. And it is fine to walk (under the order). You just have to do the social distance thing," she said. "Today is the least amount of people we have seen out here. I’m glad they are not closing the entire park. That would be a little too much because the one thing we can do is walk."

Under Polis’ order, hiking and walking are allowed as long as people participate in social distancing. Trails in Pueblo remain open.

As the nation grapples with the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus that has the health care system at a tipping point, a growing number of states also have ordered their residents to stay at home.

Mayor Nick Gradisar said parks will remain open unless people fail to obey social distancing rules.

Other recreational venues closed by the city of Pueblo on Thursday include: Pueblo Ice Arena, El Centro del Quinto Sol Recreation Center, Walking Stick and Elmwood golf courses, Pueblo Motorsports Park and Honor Speedway, City Park Dog Park, City Park Disc Golf Course and all tennis courts, softball fields, basketball courts, skateboarding parks, playgrounds, outdoor excercise equipment, horseshoe pits, bocce ball courts and picnic shelters.

amestas@chieftain.com

Twitter: @mestas3517