NYC Beaches Will Not Open For Memorial Day Weekend, Mayor Says

NEW YORK, NY — Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed on Sunday that New York City beaches will not open for Memorial Day Weekend.

De Blasio said that, despite beaches opening in other parts of the state, the city will not let New Yorkers swim or congregate on beaches until there is more progress in fighting back the coronavirus crisis.

Beaches will remain open for those who live near them to walk, but will have fences ready to close them off if crowds start to gather, the mayor added. Swimming, gatherings, sports and parties will not be permitted.

"We are not opening our beaches on Memorial Day — we are not opening our beaches in the near term," de Blasio said. "It is not the right thing to do in the epicenter of this crisis."

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The rest of New York State's beaches will open May 22 with restrictions that include capping capacity at 50 percent, closing concessions and banning group contact, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Beaches in Connecticut, Delaware and New Jersey will also open, which Cuomo explained was why he decided to do the same.

De Blasio said the city will still train its lifeguards to prepare in case it is safe to open beaches later in the summer, but did not specify when that might be.

"I’ve never ruled out the possibility of opening beaches later in the summer," de Blasio said.

The city's plan to keep New Yorkers cool during the summer months in the meantime includes opening fire hydrants, misting centers in public parks and large cooling centers set up in sports arenas, auditoriums and gyms.

The mayor received some pushback for repeatedly discouraging people from traveling to beaches from other parts of the city given that he has been known to drive from his home on the Upper East Side to take walks in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, even during the coronavirus crisis.

"We do not want to see non-essential travel," de Blasio said Sunday. "We want to see people keeping things as modest as possible...I want us to recognize we still have to fight back this disease."