Packed beaches and boardwalks: Videos show holiday weekend crowds during pandemic
Beaches and boardwalks filled with crowds during the first Fourth of July weekend of the coronavirus pandemic, photos and videos show.
Hundreds of people looked past health guidelines as they flocked to Diamond Lake Sandbar in Michigan, the Detroit Free Press reported.
The partygoers were wearing no face masks as they danced closely in the thigh-deep water, according to footage that WSBT reporter Max Lewis shared Saturday on Twitter.
People also packed into beach communities on the East and West Coasts.
In Virginia Beach, where people had been hired to promote social distancing, “large groups” gathered near the shore, WVEC reported.
“This is the first time we’ve been out of the house in months, and I really didn’t expect to see this many people here,” Ryan Hasley told WVEC. “So I haven’t even touched the beach yet. We’re just walking by and it looks like we’re just going to keep on walking.”
In New Jersey, time-lapse video shows the Ocean City boardwalk filling up on the Fourth of July. The footage from AtTheShore.com was captured after the state relaxed coronavirus-related restrictions, according to Storyful.
In Southern California, people met for food and drinks at a block party in San Clemente, KTLA reported. A photo obtained by the TV station shows about two dozen people gathered near a sidewalk.
With other beaches in the area closed, San Clemente visitors said they had expected more crowds on the sand, news outlets reported. A photo from the Orange County Register shows beach umbrellas with distance between them.
“Everyone is kind of staying to their own,” Julia Groves told the newspaper.
In San Diego, video from KSWB shows maskless beachgoers spread across the shoreline.
“We didn’t know what to expect actually with other closures in the area of how we were going to be inundated but it seems pretty regular for the Fourth of July with definitely a lot of people,” Marine Safety Lt. Rich Stropky told the TV station.
To help protect against the coronavirus, health officials urge people to practice social distancing, which involves staying at least 6 feet from others. Everyone is also encouraged to wear face coverings in public, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Amid surges in cases, some states had warned against gathering for Independence Day this year. Communities across the country canceled firework displays in an effort to discourage large celebrations.
This story was originally published July 6, 2020 at 4:52 PM with the headline "Packed beaches and boardwalks: Videos show holiday weekend crowds during pandemic."
