Thousands Head to Reopened Beaches in Texas
Beachgoers enjoy a day of sunshine at Galveston Beach on May 2, 2020 in Galveston, Texas, amid the coronavirus pandemic. – Texas beaches were ordered to be opened on May 1, 2020. In a statement, the City of Galveston said, «The City of Galveston’s top priority is the health of our residents. We strongly urge our residents to continue taking health precautions and following the CDC, state and health district guidelines regarding COVID-19, including social distancing and avoiding gatherings of more than 10.» The reopening is a first step in Galveston’s goal to rebound from the pandemic and «salvage the summer,» as coined during the tourist town’s. (Photo by Mark Felix / AFP)
VOA News
In the first phase of Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan for Texas to reopen, the state’s beaches fully reopened last week.
In the Gulf of Mexico coastal city of Galveston, the beach patrol reported thousands of visitors over the weekend.
Galveston issued a statement as the beaches opened Friday, saying its top priority is the health of its residents. Officials strongly urged residents to “continue taking health precautions and following the CDC, state and health district guidelines regarding COVID-19, including social distancing and avoiding gatherings of more than 10.»
Video and pictures from the beach over the weekend showed that not everyone took those warnings seriously.
Prior to opening, the beaches were available only from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. daily for pedestrians, joggers and surfers.
Texas’s stay-at-home order is set to expire May 8. Mayor Steve Adler of the state’s capital, Austin, said Monday he intends to extend the city’s stay-at-home order past that date.