Events canceled, but LI beaches may remain open this summer
LI officials cancel events, but say they are trying to find a way to reopen beaches while maintaining social distancing
Long Island officials say that if they can figure out a way t make residents maintain social distancing rules, the Island's beaches may not be empty this summer, even if several major events are canceled.
NEW YORK - The 17th annual Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach, the unofficial beginning of summer on Long Island that draws hundreds of thousands of spectators every year has been officially cancelled.
However, officials on Long Island say that the beaches won’t necessarily be empty this year if they can figure out a way to reopen them while continuing to enforce social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone told FOX 5 NY that while he thinks it’s too soon to start opening beaches it’s certainly not too early to begin planning for it.
“The thing I’ve always cautioned is, we just don’t know exactly what’s going to happen,” Bellone said.
New York City Council Health Chair Mark Levine is also pushing for beaches to reopen safely this summer, calling them a “safety valve” among COVID-19 closures. Levine says his plan would likely require some oversight from city police and the Parks Department.
“I am extremely worried about a long, hot New York summer in which we have no summer camp, no block parties, no street fairs and no outlet, especially for young people,” Levine told FOX 5 NY.
Meanwhile, on the Jersey Shore, local municipalities that rely on oceanfront retail and restaurants to make a profit warn that if beaches and boardwalks are forced to stay closed through the summer, the damage could be permanent.
“Point Pleasant Beach is a bit of a seasonable town,” said Paul Kanitra, the borough’s Mayor. “There are literally some businesses here that only open for the season, so their sole income is solely dependent on that season to get them through.”
Kanitra says that he’s going to use a tiered approach and slowly begin opening the beachfront in phases, when the time is right, but that he doesn’t think a final decision will be made on the matter until the end of the month, or even early May.