Corson's Inlet State Park Closes Beach Shortly After Reopening

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Shortly after the State lifted coronavirus restrictions in its parks, officials closed beach access at Corson's Inlet State Park.

Governor Phil Murphy reopened state parks Saturday, a few weeks after closing them. But state officials announced Saturday night that beaches at Corson's Inlet State Park is prohibited until further notice. Parking lot access for boat launching remains allowed.

Saturday was the first day that state and county parks could reopen. Nice weather and the lifted restriction brought many outside Saturday in New Jersey.

But the State Parks service said the following parks were "overrun" Saturday:

• Barnegat Lighthouse State Park
• Bulls Island Recreation Area
• Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park
• Hacklebarney State Park
• Round Valley Recreation Park
• Wharton State Forest
• Wawayanda State Park
• Worthington State Forest

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection did not immediately return further comment on the Corson's Inlet State Park closure.

Some social media posts showed and commented on crowds at the beach.

Other photos showed individuals and families having a nice time at Corson's Inlet State Park.

The New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry said that people should take the following precautions as parks reopen:

• stay close to home
• with bathrooms closed, "go" before you go
• no picnicking
• stay no longer than two hours
• put your mask up when near others
• no parking along roads

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The Cape May County Health Department has reported has reported 172 active coronavirus cases, 23 deaths and 155 people cleared off quarantine as of Sunday morning.

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

Correction: A previous version of this story did not include statistics from longterm care centers among the number of active cases in Cape May County.

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