Coronavirus In Narragansett: Parking Limited At Town Beach

NARRAGANSETT, RI — In an effort to enforce social distancing mandates and discourage large gatherings, the town of Narragansett is limiting parking at and around beaches. Over the weekend, the parking lot at Narragansett Town Beach was chained, and the town has restricted parking on Ocean Road.

During the coronavirus-mandated closures, Rhode Islanders are advised to stay home as much as possible, only going out for necessary errands. One of the few things residents are still allowed to do is go outside to take walks, as long as proper social distancing guidelines are followed. These include avoiding gatherings of five people or more and maintaining approximately six feet of distance between yourself and others.

There have been several reports of people violating this policy, with large groups of people flocking to beaches and other popular outdoor public areas, potentially helping the spread of COVID-19. For this reason, Narragansett and other coastal communities have made the decision to limit access to beaches.

Cones and other barriers have been placed to limit parking spaces on Ocean Road, Narragansett police said. Anyone caught moving them to park illegally will face a $500 fine on top of the usual parking ticket.