Beaches to stay open if people follow rules, officials say

Long Island officials on Sunday said they do not plan to close beaches to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, but that could change if people flout social distancing protocols at the shoreline.

Most beachgoers have respected those regulations so far, county and town officials said, even as warm weather drew crowds to Long Island's waterfronts Saturday and Sunday. But local governments are taking steps nevertheless to prevent their coasts from getting packed, which public health experts say could allow the virus to spread further.

Such concerns have prompted beach closures across the country, as public officials weigh the desire of cooped-up residents to get outside against the risks of prolonged transmission of the virus.

"Getting outside, getting some exercise, getting fresh air is good," Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Sunday of social distancing in parks. "But that assumes people around you are wearing masks, people around you are acting responsibly. So it's not even a situation you can control yourself."

The NYPD issued 11 summonses on Friday for violating social-distancing rules and 89 summons on Saturday, the department said in a statement on Sunday. 

While beach attendance was up, Long Island officials reported few issues at beaches over the weekend.

"The vast majority of beachgoers are adhering to social distancing protocols," Suffolk County spokesman Derek Poppe said. "Those who aren't have voluntarily complied when approached by a park ranger."

The towns of Oyster Bay, Babylon, Southampton and Southold did not report any major issues over the weekend either, nor did Hempstead, where Lido West Beach is closed but Town Park Point Lookout is open.

"When asked to distance, the public has been gracious and cooperative," Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino said.

Even so, municipalities are taking a range of steps to ensure beachgoers spread out, including new signage, pedestrian barriers, residency requirements and shoreline patrols.

If such measures keep people at a safe distance on the shore, beaches may not become breeding grounds for the virus, public health experts said. But they questioned how feasible it will be to keep crowds down, especially as warmer weather draws more and more people to the water.

"If people respect the social distancing guidelines, then the beaches don't need to be closed," said Danielle Ompad, a professor of epidemiology at New York University. "But if people don't respect them, then maybe closing the beaches is the right thing to do."

Sharon Nachman, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, said sitting on the sand and swimming in the ocean do not in themselves pose a great threat of contracting the virus.

"The virus is not viable in salt water," she said.

But there are other ways a trip to the beach might put someone at risk, such as using a public restroom, drinking from a water fountain or standing in a long line at a concession stand.

Such risks notwithstanding, Felix Urrutia was one of many people who headed to Robert Moses State Park on Sunday to enjoy the warm weather.

"It's great to be by the ocean," he said. "I get why people want to be out here, and for the most part people are respectful and they're doing what they're supposed to be doing."

With Vera Chinese, James Carbone and Matthew Chayes