Starting Friday, people can exercise on the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk and beach but the iconic white benches that were recently taken away won't be there.
Butch Comegys / for WHYY
Rehoboth Beach to open beach and boardwalk — but no swimming or sunbathing yet
-
Cris Barrish/WHYY
Butch Comegys / for WHYY
Starting Friday, people can exercise on the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk and beach but the iconic white benches that were recently taken away won't be there.
Butch Comegys / for WHYY
Starting Friday, people can exercise on the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk and beach but the iconic white benches that were recently taken away won’t be there.
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware’s premier summer tourist destination, will lift its ban on using the beach and boardwalk on Friday, but with the traditional Memorial Day kickoff weekend just days away, is still only allowing exercise, take-out dining and curbside shopping.
Town commissioners closed access completely in late March after Gov. John Carney banned all activities but exercise on the state’s beaches. Spokeswoman Krys Johnson told WHYY on Wednesday that commissioners decided to relax the rules Tuesday but will continue following all of Carney’s state of emergency requirements.
Until the governor gives the go-ahead, Rehoboth Beach won’t permit other typical beach activities such as swimming, sunbathing, sit-down dining or arcade games.
Bicycles will be permitted on the boardwalk from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Leashed dog walking will be allowed on the beach from 6 to 10 a.m. but not on the boardwalk.
“The idea is to open this up for exercise and walking, to keep people moving” and let businesses start the process of reopening under Carney’s restrictions,’’ Johnson said.
As of May 8, non-essential Delaware retail businesses that Carney had ordered closed can now offer curbside service. Those businesses include clothing stores, a popular destination in Rehoboth Beach.
Johnson said police plan to enforce the rules, including wearing a face mask, physical distancing and prohibiting gathering of more than 10 people, if visitors don’t comply.
“Paramount to all of this is the safety and well-being of our community,’’ Johnson said. “If we don’t have a healthy community, healthy workforce, where are we?”
With the coronavirus crisis still plaguing Delaware, town businesses that depend on summer tourism revenue are bracing for a tough season without the usual throngs that fill rental homes and pack the beach, boardwalk and lengthy Rehoboth Avenue commercial strip.
“It’s definitely not going to be the same,’’ she said. “It’s this new normal that we are going to experience. It’s really challenging for the city of Rehoboth Beach.”
The Purple Buck Newsletter
Get insights into WITF’s newsroom and an invitation to join in the pursuit of trustworthy journalism.
