> So why were public outdoor areas like skate parks filled with sand to “promote social distancing”?

Because we didn't know better yet. Note the date; April 17, 2020; just a couple weeks in.

Restrictions on outdoor activities were rapidly lifted once we got a handle on how spread happened.

LA County Parks is implementing following changes effective November 30, 2020:

All playgrounds will be closed. Fitness zones and exercise equipment will be closed. Parks and trails remain open for outdoor, passive use for individuals or members of the same household. Masks and physical distancing are required. No group gatherings are permitted

https://covid19.lacounty.gov/covid19-2-2/closures/

Emphasis mine

Edit: and for reference, because I do think you have a point, the George Floyd protests started months before November 2020.

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ceejayoz 2 hours ago | parent [-]

So LA was being a bit dumb.

See also: Schools wiping surfaces instead of opening windows.

	▲	embeng4096 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		NYC playgrounds closed until July 2020 (a time concurrent with ongoing protests): https://data.cityofnewyork.us/dataset/Parks-Closure-Status-D... Washington state continues to close park/trail facilities through July 2021: https://www.wta.org/go-outside/social-distancing-hiking-in-t... I agree with you that some protocols were dumb. Schools should have opened windows, or added UV-C lights, or replaced high-traffic surfaces like doorknobs in large common areas with antiviral materiel, added foot-use mechanisms for opening doors, and so on. Or, if it was too expensive for any of that, asked cleaning staff to spend more time on high-transmission areas like bathroom faucets and doorknobs even if it meant less time elsewhere. But I think there's something more than just outdoor vs indoor going on.