Long Beach Closes Boardwalk Due To Coronavirus

LONG BEACH, NY — The City of Long Beach announced that, effective today, the boardwalk is closed until further notice due to people not maintaining a safe distance from each other while walking.

With many people home from work due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Long Beach boardwalk has been a popular destination for people who were looking to get a little fresh air. However, officials kept seeing groups of people congregating and people not maintaining the minimum six-foot distance needed to stop the virus from spreading. So the boardwalk is now closed.

"Long Beach is a very densely populated community with a disproportionately high number of first responders and health care providers who call the city home," said City Council President John Bendo. "For your own health and theirs, this is a measure we need to take."

Bendo said that, for now, the beach will remain open. But people should still maintain social distancing to stop the spread of the virus.

Beach access will be somewhat limited, as the entrances from the boardwalk will be closed. Police officers will also be patrolling the boardwalk to make sure it is not being used, and cameras on the boardwalk will be monitored.

As of 4 p.m. on March 25, there were 93 confirmed cases of coronavirus on the barrier island: 62 in Long Beach, 16 in Lido Beach and 15 in Atlantic Beach.

"This was clearly not an easy decision to make, but it is literally a matter of life and death," said Bendo. "We know how much we all care about our loved ones and neighbors, so this is just a temporary sacrifice we’re going to have to make. If we can effectively slow the rate of transmission and save lives, we’ll also begin to see the light at the end of this tunnel and perhaps be able to enjoy a Long Beach Summer and a resumption of a sense of normalcy."

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