Georgia island prepares for 10,000 to flood its beaches after state reopens
It’s been less than a week since Gov. Brian Kemp announced plans to reopen Georgia, and the coronavirus-weary public is already flocking to enjoy the warm sun and sand at the state’s coastal beaches.
Tybee Island has been especially alluring to locals and out-of-towners itching to to head outdoors after riding out a weeks-long lockdown. The city’s decision to close its beaches was effectively usurped by Kemp’s latest executive order and the coast is already seeing crowds, Tybee Island city manager Shawn Gillen told McClatchy News.
“I think it was anywhere from 1,500 to 3,000 people on the beach Saturday,” Gillen said, citing data from traffic counters tracking the number of cars that crossed the bridge onto the island. “That’s not atypical for this time of year, but it isn’t normal for the circumstances that we’re under right now.”
With the statewide stay-at-home order set to expire Thursday, the city manager said they’re expecting much larger numbers this weekend — as many as 10,000 beachgoers.
“Our traffic counts push up to the 8, 9 and 10,000 numbers on a typical sunny week in the spring,” Gillen explained. “So we’re anticipating those numbers to bounce back to those levels this weekend.”
The expected surge comes just days after Kemp gave the go ahead for certain businesses to reopen, including barbershops, nail salons, bowling alleys and massage parlors, among others. On Monday, movie theaters and restaurants were also allowed to reopen under tight guidelines.
Public health experts, and even President Donald Trump have criticized Kemp’s plans, arguing it’s much too early to lift the statewide lockdown. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were more than 25,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the Peach State, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
The fast spreading virus has killed just over 1,000 residents and landed nearly 5,000 in the hospital, data shows. The worst cases have resulted in 1,122 patients being placed in ICU.
With social distancing at ease, however, many residents are ready to return to their day-to-day activities — including visits to the beach.
“How long are we supposed to imprison ourselves?” a bikini-clad beach goer Mackenzie Scharf, 30, told the Agence France Presse in a recent interview, adding, “This is much safer than going grocery shopping.”
Rachel Lilly, a 39-year-old housewife and Tybee Island resident, recently enjoyed her first beach trip of the year, telling the AFP: “It feels great — like it’s supposed to feel.”
“I’m not concerned (about catching the virus), as long as it’s not packed,” Lilly added. “But if everyone does what we’re doing, that’s a problem.”
Gillen expressed similar concerns, noting there’s little that local police can do to enforce social distancing as the crowds continue to grow.
“There’s going to be a lot of people concentrated in different areas of the beach, and so we’re gonna have to cover that with very limited resources,” the city manager told McClatchy News. “The number of people is going to double ... and that is where it’s going to become problematic. I don’t know how you enforce social distancing — and then you throw alcohol into the mix.”
“People’s decsion-making capacity goes down,” he said.
. Gillen said the island typically sees 10,000 or more visitors around the Fourth of July and Memorial Day holidays.
“We know we’re going to see that level because there’s so much pent up demand, with people being stuck in their houses,” the city manager said. “And regardless of what the rules are (in terms of social distancing) on the beach, we’re gonna have to deal with the reality of it. How are people actually going to behave?”
To keep visitors safe, Gillen said city officials are reviewing how to best deal with traffic congestion and packed parking lots.
“How do we handle (crowds) without it escalating?” Gillen told McClatchy. “That’s the reality we’re facing.”
This story was originally published April 29, 2020 at 6:56 PM with the headline "Georgia island prepares for 10,000 to flood its beaches after state reopens."