NYC beaches may close through summer amid coronavirus
The city’s beaches could partially or entirely close for the summer
New York City has closed playgrounds, shuttered dog runs, and issued hefty fines for those caught gathering amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Now, the city’s beaches could be next on the chopping block to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Mayor Bill de Blasio warned this week that he’s “not confident” that social distancing will end in June, July, or even August. The city’s Parks Department says it has begun planning for a number of scenarios in relation to the city’s beaches, which typically open for Memorial Day weekend. A source told the New York Post that City Hall directed parks officials to plan for the possibility of full or partial closures through the summer.
“We are hopeful that there will be little to no impact on the coming season, if social distancing restrictions remain in place, we will [be] addressing accordingly,” said Parks Department spokesperson Crystal Howard.
Officials have struggled to curb overcrowding in the city’s parks, one of the few refuges New Yorkers have amid the pandemic. The de Blasio administration shuttered playgrounds and dog runs after rampant disregard for social distancing guidlines. Last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo beefed up fines from $500 to $1,000 for New Yorkers not taking social distancing seriously.
If beaches remain closed, or at least partially offline, some fear that as the weather improves with the summer that New Yorkers could inundate the city’s green spaces and trigger a flare up of COVID-19. There is also the issue of staffing—the city is “having enormous difficulty” hiring lifeguards, according the The Post. And the state has yet to offer clarity on whether lifeguards are “essential” personnel or other input on city beaches.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has stressed that extreme caution is required to curb the virus.
“I want to make sure we do this right,” de Blasio said Wednesday. “The worst possible scenario would be to take the foot off the gas, think we’re out of the woods, let people come back too quickly and have the virus boomerang back on us.”
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