New Jersey reopening beaches with restrictions as Memorial Day approaches
Alex Hogan reports from Ocean Grove, N.J. on the new rules for the Jersey Shore.
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Hundreds of people in New Jersey stood in line to purchase beach access badges Saturday ahead of what could be a busy Memorial Day weekend.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced last week that the state's beaches would reopen in time for the holiday weekend with certain restrictions aimed at reducing the risk of spreading coronavirus.
Beachgoers will be asked to maintain six feet of separation, except for relatives or household members, and there will be admission and overall capacity limits at beaches.
"The Shore is central to our Jersey identity, and we want to ensure that families can safely enjoy it this summer," Murphy said Tuesday.
NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE TO REOPEN STATE BEACHES BY MEMORIAL DAY, CUOMO SAYS
Murphy encouraged local officials to set beach capacities using beach tags or geographical spatial analysis in certain areas. Masks are encouraged but not required on the sand. Bathrooms, showers, and changing rooms will be open and cleaned frequently.
In the Jersey Shore town of Belmar, where seasonal badges are required for beach access, hundreds of people waited in line Saturday.
Hundreds of people line up to purchase seasonal beach badges in Belmar, N.J. on Saturday, May 16, 2020. (Daniel Cutillo via Storyful)
The people in line – most of whom were maintaining social distancing – could be seen in a drone video taken from near Taylor Pavilion on the boardwalk.
The line stretched for several blocks along the boardwalk.
"I hope everyone listens [to the health warnings] because it's a terrible time right now, and we have to do what we can so it gets better," Judy Sulewski told WABC-TV as she stood in line.
Hundreds of people line up to purchase seasonal beach badges in Belmar, N.J. on Saturday, May 16, 2020. (Daniel Cutillo via Storyful)
Belmar says on its website that badges are required for admission to beaches from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends, from Memorial Day weekend until the full season starts on June 15. From that day until Labor Day, badges are required every day.
On Friday, local governments allowed people to return to the sand at some of New Jersey's most popular beaches, including Seaside Heights and Point Pleasant Beach.
An employee waits for customers at a boardwalk candy store in Seaside Heights, N.J. on Friday, May 15, 2020 on the first day the beach and boardwalk opened during the coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)
Both were conducting what they considered trial-run openings to see how well crowds could be contained, and how well they adhered to social distancing and other measures.
Paul Kanitra, Point Pleasant Beach's mayor, told The Associated Press the beach is nice and wide after a recent replenishment and should have enough room for at least 500 people to safely use.
Bicyclists ride on the boardwalk in Seaside Heights, N.J. on May 15, 2020, the on the first day it opened during the coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)
Kanitra said the town will examine how the initial reopening goes before deciding whether to remove restrictions designed to minimize outside visitors, including limiting parking near the beach to residents.
“We're optimistic about it,” he aIS. “It's certainly not a situation anyone wants to be in. There's no playbook for this.”
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But many beachgoers on Friday said they weren't sure if everyone hitting the sand this summer will continue to heed restrictions.
A 'no swimming' flag blows in the wind on the beach at Seaside Heights, N.J., on Friday, May 15, 2020, the first day it opened during the coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)
“I think some people will get mad” at some of the restrictions, Deb Ferrier of Point Pleasant Beach told the AP. “I don't want to even go near this place on Memorial Day weekend.”
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As of Sunday, there were 145,089 cases of COVID-19 in New Jersey with at least 10,261 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Fox News' Vandana Rambaran and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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