Rockaway Beach
Photo Courtesy of Benjamin Kanter/Mayoral Photography Office
By Michael V. Cusenza
Mayor Bill de Blasio on Friday announced that City beaches will open, but with strict guidelines for the sand and surf.
In April, Hizzoner indicated that, due to the COVID-19 crisis, all City pools and beaches would be shuttered for the summer.
“If we rush when we are still in the throes of this crisis, if we let people come back together and start gathering again, and there are lessons, again from around the world and from our own past that show us when you take the foot off the gas too early, you could have a spread again,” de Blasio said last month.
On Friday, he detailed the new guidelines for beachgoers.
“I’ve been really clear about the beaches: They are closed for swimming,” the mayor said. “There will not be lifeguards. People are not supposed to go to the beach to swim. There’s not going to be anything with group activity. No sports, no volleyball, no gatherings. We want to make sure that people understand what the beach is for today. You can walk on the beach. You can hang out on the beach, but do it in a manner that is consistent with everything we’ve been talking about. You go out for the amount of time you need, then you get back home. You socially distance the whole time. You wear the face covering. These are the smart moves to keep our progress going.”
