Lochiel Creek County Park In Barnegat To Reopen

BARNEGAT, NJ — Lochiel Creek County Park is among three county parks that will reopen Thursday, according to officials. The County announced the upcoming openings Tuesday, representing the next phase as officials gradually lift coronavirus restrictions in Ocean County parks.

Eno's Pond County Park in Lacey and Mill Creek County Park in Berkeley will also reopen Thursday. The three additional parks have been added to the 10 other parks gradually reopened by the County since May 2 along with its two golf courses, the Barnegat Branch Trail and its natural land sites.

State parks reopened May 2, while municipal park restrictions remain up to each town's discretion.

The County's playgrounds, public bathrooms, nature centers, pavilions, dog parks and smaller parks will remain closed. Large gatherings, sporting events, picnics and barbecues remain prohibited as per Governor Phil Murphy's orders.

Parks maintained by Ocean County that have reopened are Cattus Island County Park, Toms River; Cloverdale County Park, Barnegat; Tip Seaman County Park, Tuckerton; Wells Mills County Park, Waretown; John C. Bartlett Jr. County Park at Berkeley Island; Jakes Branch County Park, Beachwood; Ocean County Park and Lake Shenandoah County Park, both in Lakewood; Patriots County Park, Jackson; and Freedom Fields, Little Egg Harbor Township.

The Ocean County Golf Course at Atlantis, in Little Egg Harbor Township and Forge Pond County Golf Course in Brick Township has reopened for play.

The County also capped parking at 50 percent, per the State's requirements. When the parking lot reaches capacity, park patrons shouldn't park on streets or the grass. The County strongly suggests wearing face coverings.

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“We encourage everyone to adhere to the requirements we have put in place to reopen the parks,” said County Freeholder Virginia E. Haines. “In time we look forward to reopening all of our parks.”

Ocean County closed its parks and natural lands March 31 before beginning to gradually reopen the areas.

The County Health Department has reported 7,558 coronavirus cases and 547 deaths as of noon Tuesday.

"It’s important that we continue to follow social distancing rules," said Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari. "We all need to remember that our actions don’t affect just us, they affect our family, they affect our health care workers, they affect our emergency responders, they affect the workers at our grocery stores.”

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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