Ocean City Beach, Boardwalk Openings Praised, Some Complaints

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Ocean City's beaches and boardwalk reopened last weekend with some changes in place — hand-sanitizer dispensers along the boardwalk, restrictions on certain activities and not all businesses able to reopen because of coronavirus restrictions.

Ocean City allows beach access for walking, running, surfing, exercising and fishing. Sunbathing, sitting in chairs or lying on towels, groups of people, group sports and swimming remain prohibited.

The boardwalk is open for walking, running, bicycling and access for takeout food. "Non-essential" retail stores and amusement centers remain closed as per Governor Phil Murphy's orders.

People must stay at least 6 feet apart when possible, but small groups of family members and others are permitted if they fall under exemptions of the shelter-in-place order. Read more here.

Wearing a face mask or covering isn't mandatory outside, but the Center for Disease Control recommends it in places where social distancing is difficult. It is required inside essential businesses.

Patch asked readers their opinions on how things went the last few days. Many praised the reopenings, but there were a few complaints. Here is some of what we heard from readers:

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• "We were out at 35th st beach. Not a lot of people. Everyone practicing social distancing, no one lounging. 50% mask wearers." - Beth Miller
• "People used the beach responsibly. Families were enjoying time together outside responsibly. People were engaged in physical activity responsibly. Shoppers were wearing masks inside of shopping establishments responsibly. The few people I know who felt trepidation about the crowds enjoyed time in their homes and yard, and made sure to have their provisions early so as not to have to go out. I think this weekend did a world of good for people's mental health, which cannot be underestimated." - Jordie Smith
• "Out for my walk yesterday I saw some people were walking and biking on the boardwalk, so I decided to join in. I only walked the boards from 14th to 23rd Sts.? I found everyone respectful of social distancing and saw no one go against the guidelines. It was wonderful." - Chris Kolbe Karver
• "Found sanitizer non-sensor dispensers on boardwalk by beach side. And it’s another touch like door knobs to use for sanitizer. This is not effective enough. It’s how many people touching the dispenser?" - Nancy Clements
• "I was so happy to walk the boardwalk yesterday. I was quite comfortable with the amount of people that had on a mask and showed social distancing." - Winnie Piriano
• "It was great tp be back on the boards. No large groups of people but I only (saw) one person wearing a mask. No police on the north end — maybe they concentrate on the center." - Noel Wirth.
• "Unfortunately, there were a lot of dog owners who had not passed their idiot tests yet, who allowed their dogs to run wild on the beach. this is never allowed! dogs are ALWAYS required to be on leashes." - Vic.

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

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