CHICOPEE, Mass. - Residents in Chicopee have expressed concerns about kids not being able to use the basketball hoops in the city.

As one youngster explains, he really misses going to the park and playing basketball with his friends.

"It's not very fair," said 11-year-old Evan Klusman. "I think you should be able to go there and hang out and play some games and maybe even meet some new friends there."

Klusman said he used to go play basketball with his friends, but can't these days since the rims and nets were taken down.

"So people don't get sad because they can't do the stuff they normally can do with COVID. It's not very fun, but they could have a policy of wearing a mask or something like that," Klusman said.

Spectrum News 1 reached out to the City of Chicopee parks department who were unavailable Tuesday for comment, but supervisor Benjamin Strepka told Spectrum News 1 they have been working with the City's health department to put a plan in place to get the hoops back up when it is safe to do so.

Currently, Chicopee is among the state's "red" COVID-19 communities. As of Monday, there were 198 active cases of coronavirus in the city, but the health department reported they are starting to see a decline in cases. 

Ward 3 City Councilor Lucjan Galecki said he is in favor of putting the nets back, stating the ones who use the basketball courts are mostly kids and young adults, who are less of a risk.

"You see the kids they are riding their bikes around. They hang out with each other anyways, so what is the big deal if they play basketball? They are stuck at home, they have nothing to do and they shut the hoops down. I don't think it's a good idea, but I am not a health expert," said Galecki.

And kids like Klusman seem to agree-

"Put up the basketball hoops," Klusman said.

Although it is unclear when exactly the hoops will be able to be used, the parks department says operations will return to normal once coronavirus case numbers go down in the city.