ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — There’s a push in St. Johns County to reopen the beaches. Commissioners heard from a number of people on Tuesday, expressing their concerns for the need to be on the beach for both physical and mental health.
Those pushing for the reopening of the beaches are only asking for a few hours a day, not the entire day. A petition created by a local surfer said surfing should be an essential activity – it has more than 10,000 signatures.
“During this stressful time we feel very depressed that we can’t get out and put our feet in the sand,” said Scott Fricks, a bicyclist.
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Tuesday morning, for nearly two hours, people in the community called in and told St. Johns County Commissioners why they believe the beaches should reopen. Some said the beach is a place to relax, to forget about problems and worries. Others said they are afraid it will only bring in more people from other communities, and the beaches will get crowded.
“Opening up the beaches right now would be a tragic mistake. I understand. I get that people are going stir crazy right now, but the priority right now should not be a nice walk on the beach,” said a concerned citizen.
A little over a week ago, St. Johns County closed the beaches – more than a week after Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry ordered beaches in Duval County to close. Before the closure, the beaches along St. Johns County were crowded.
Last week, Georgia’s governor decided to reopen all beaches for exercise only. That means no chairs, towels, or umbrellas allowed. Other local county beaches are closed.
Commissioner said it would be too hard to patrol the beaches. They said the beaches need to stay closed for now. But, they would revisit the issue each week.
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