The New York City Council’s 10-point plan to allow New Yorkers to enjoy beaches this summer aims to thread the needle between permitting fun in the sun and guarding against a second COVID-19 outbreak.
“Access to city beaches isn’t just a summer fun issue. It is an equity issue and a public health issue,” said City Council Speaker Corey Johnson in a statement. “All New Yorkers, not just those wealthy enough to travel out of the city, deserve access to the beach this summer.”
Fearing overcrowding, Mayor Bill de Blasio banned swimming at city beaches to prevent overcrowding during the holiday weekend and announced that no lifeguards would be on duty, a measure criticized by some elected officials after a 24-year-old man drowned off the coast of Rockaway Beach on May 22.
“Disallowing swimming at beaches puts New Yorkers at risk. If the City is going to open our beaches, and parks, we need to do so in a comprehensive manner with the necessary resources they need to operate safely,” said Councilmember Peter Koo, Chair of the City Council Park’s Committee.
Surfing, sunbathing, and walking in ankle-deep water are still allowed as well as groups of up to 10 people, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo.
To allow for swimming and increased sunbathing space, the city council proposed the city use ropes or flags planted in the sand to designate areas where a person or small group can sit while keeping socially distant and to create walking lanes, according to the guidelines. In the guidelines, councilmembers also called for lifeguards to be stationed at beaches, provided with personal protective equipment like masks and gloves, and allowed to self-isolate with pay as needed.
In order to allow for frequent handwashing, city council members called for restrooms at city beaches to remain open like they are at city parks and for foot-pedal operated water or hand sanitizer stations installed along beaches. The city should also install more trash cans along beach areas for masks, gloves and other PPE’s to minimize littering.
New Yorkers must wear a mask if they plan to sit in the sand, walk along the boardwalk, or stick their feet in the water. The City Council encouraged that New Yorkers continue to be required to wear masks with the obvious exception being if they want to swim, according to the guidelines.
In order to ensure that New Yorker remained socially distant at beaches, Mayor de Blasio announced last week that the city would increase Parks Department and NYPD presence at beaches.
On Friday, Mayor de Blasio said 150 Parks personnel would hand out free cloth face masks at city beaches enforce social distancing with NYPD officers ” in the background” to serve as back up if needed. “If there are gatherings, if people try to go into the water, parks is going to take the lead but if they need support from the NYPD they will have it,” said de Blasio.
Councilmembers also called on the city to increase transportation options to the beach like creating new bus lanes to allow for more buses trips on high-traffic routes and by installing pop-up protected bike lanes, creating bike-only streets on routes going towards beaches and increasing the number of bike racks at beach entrances.
The City Council guidelines also ask that the city allow restaurants near beaches to open and to look at non-beach alternatives for communities far from the water.
