Sea Isle, Upper Township beaches also open
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the opening of the Ocean City boardwalk.
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
OCEAN CITY – In a letter to the community late Friday afternoon, May 8, Mayor Jay Gillian said he is going to share information of beach access for exercising “very soon.”
Saturday, on the city’s website at ocnj.us/covid the city posted a list of activities permitted on the beach:
Beach access is permitted for active recreation only — including walking, running, surfing, exercising and fishing. Sunbathing, sitting in chairs or lying on towels, groups of people, group sports and bathing are prohibited.
The boardwalk also opened, with social distancing required, as did the pedestrian walkway along Route 52 between Ocean City and Somers Point.
His counterpart in Sea Isle City, Mayor Leonard Desiderio, said on Thursday he was working with Gillian and Upper Township Mayor Richard Palombo on a unified decision on opening the beaches in the northern part of the county.
Ocean City issued a press release late Saturday afternoon saying Sea Isle City and Upper Township also opened their beaches with similar restrictions.
“Mayor Leonard Desiderio of Sea Isle City, Mayor Richard Palombo of Upper Township and Mayor Jay Gillian of Ocean City announced Saturday that they will allow access to their beaches for exercise and active recreation,” the release said. “The mayors of the three municipalities have been coordinating with a Cape May County task force and other mayors on plans for a safe and gradual reopening of beaches, facilities and businesses as the state continues to take measures to slow the spread of COVID-19.
“Local health professionals have advised that letting people exercise and enjoy outdoor spaces is safe and important for their physical and mental health, provided they avoid dense crowds and close contact with others,” the release continued. “Access to the beaches will be permitted for people engaged in activities such as walking, running, exercising, surfing and fishing. Sunbathing, sitting in chairs, groups of people, group sports and bathing will be prohibited.”
On Thursday, Desiderio said he expected to open the beach and promenade in Sea Isle City “over the weekend or early next week. We’ll do it in conjunction with Ocean City and Strathmere. We work together.”
Beaches in Wildwood, Avalon, Strathmere, Cape May and Lower Township are now open, but limited to recreational activities such as walking and running. The communities are not allowing gatherings or letting people set up chairs to get the sun and watch the surf.
“I’ll be having another conversation with Mayor Gillian and Mayor Palombo,” Desiderio said. “We have to work out capacity management now because I think we’re going to have a lot of people here for Memorial Day weekend. They’ve had this cabin fever wherever they’re coming from or wherever they’re living so they’re ready to come down. It’s just going to be a little different and there are going to be some different rules that we’re going to be following and that’s how we’re going to operate this summer.”
Capacity management means the communities are going to find ways to limit the total number of people on the beaches to keep them separated to avoid the continued spread of COVID-19.
Beaches, boardwalks and promenades closed throughout the county in March to limit the spread of the coronavirus and keep tourists and second-home owners from wanting to visit.
“I anticipate that very soon I will be able to share information on beach access for exercising,” Gillian wrote Friday. “We will take a measured approach to reopening different parts of the city. As your mayor, my first priority is your health and welfare, and I am particularly concerned for our senior population. We all need to understand that our behavior could affect their safety more than our own.
“The medical professionals caution that coronavirus is not going away any time soon, and that filling our beaches, boardwalk and downtown with dense crowds could quickly and easily undo all of our efforts. But they also said it’s important to start thinking about letting people get out into the relative safety of outdoor spaces – for their physical and mental health.”
Gov. Phil Murphy’s emergency orders during the COVID-1i pandemic restrict businesses and public facilities, but local officials have control on whether they open their beaches and boardwalks.
“The key to success in reopening all parts of Ocean City will lie in strict social distancing,” Gillian wrote. “Even outside, people should stay at least six feet apart, and wear face coverings when this social distancing is not possible. This guidance does not apply to family members or people with close personal relationships.
“We all need to take personal responsibility for following these recommendations. Let me be perfectly clear. Everyone’s actions will determine how we move forward. If people do not follow the rules, we will be forced to shut the beaches back down,” he wrote.