Glynn County officials reopened the county’s beaches Friday evening, three days after they extended beach closures through the month of April.
The 180-degree turn came in response to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s shelter-in-place order, which overrides the various measures issued by local officials in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus.
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But the change does not mean people should flock to the nearest beach. In fact, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources has banned the use of chairs, tents and umbrellas on beaches.
The Glynn County Commission announced the change in a Facebook post Friday afternoon, saying beaches are now open for the purposes of exercise:
In compliance with Governor Kemp’s Shelter-in-Place order, Glynn County beaches are open for the purposes of exercise as of 6:00 p.m. on April 3, 2020. However the use of chairs, tents, and umbrellas on Georgia’s coastal beaches is prohibited per the Georgia Department of Natural Resources effective as of 6:00 p.m. on April 3, 2020 through April 13, 2020. In order to provide parking, the parking areas of Massengale Park and Coast Guard Park will open as of 6:00 p.m. While using these areas, continue to maintain a distance of more than six feet from others who do not live in your household.
Glynn County Board of Commissioners
County officials previously ordered the beaches closed as part of the county’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. That order was extended Tuesday but undone when Kemp issued his statewide mandate.