Coronavirus: Social Distancing On Plymouth Beaches A 'Concern'

PLYMOUTH, MA — With the warming weather approaching there are more and more questions about how the new coronavirus health emergency, and social distancing restictions, effect summer activities. Plymouth town manager Melissa Arrighi said this week that many of those questions about the availability of town beaches will be addressed in accordance with state guidelines.

"One of the main concerns is that staff will not be able to enforce social distancing and by having them there it will create major problems," Arrighi said in a question-and-answer session on social media. "Some towns are considering reducing the beach parking lot numbers of 50 percent. We are not ready to make those hard decisions yet, and have heard that the governor is going to announce some guidelines for summer camps, parks and beaches this week."

Plymouth's position as a summer beach, recreation boating and commercial fishing destination makes its choices even trickier as the activities of out-of-towners could affect the safety of residents in a way that another non-coastal town may not have to consider.

Arrighi said the harbormaster staff has been working through the coronavirus closure and have tried to reach out to many of those who have emailed questions and concerns about the summer season. The town has recently launched a website to help answer some of those questions.

"We have been working on policies to follow for the summer boating season in regards to practicing social distancing while boating," Arrighi said. "We are looking at guidance provided from different national sources and tailoring them to the local situation. This is a work in progress and we have some time to get the info out before things get busy."

Don't miss updates about precautions in your area as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported 1,745 new confirmed coronavirus cases Wednesday, bringing the state's total to 42,944. The department also reported 221 new deaths, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Massachusetts to 2,182. The increase in the daily number of new cases comes after the five straight days of falling new case reports.

The 221 deaths was the highest single-day total since Massachusetts recorded its first coronavirus death on March 20. The 2,182 total deaths from coronavirus are six less than the 2,188 Massachusetts residents who died in the Vietnam and Korean Wars.

More Coronavirus Coverage On Massachusetts Patch:

• When Will MA Relax Coronavirus Social Distancing Measures?
• School Canceled In MA For Rest Of Year Due To Coronavirus
• Massachusetts Coronavirus Deaths Eclipse Flu, Diabetes Deaths
• MA Self-Employed, Gig Economy Workers Can Now File For Unemployment Benefits