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Escambia Commission Votes Tuesday On Reopening Beaches. Here’s How To Submit Your Comments.
April 27, 2020
THIS STORY IS NOW OUTDATED. CLICK HERE FOR AN UPDATE.
Escambia County Votes To Reopen Beaches Beginning Friday
(No further comments will be accepted on the story below…comment on the updated story)
The Escambia County Commission will hold a special meeting Tuesday to discuss reopening public beaches.
The commission closed the public beaches and Santa Rosa Island and Perdido Key back on March 21 in a effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The commission meeting will be live streamed, and the public is urged to participate electronically and submit any comments or questions before the meeting to maximize social distancing. A public input form has been made available, and form comments will be read into the record during the meeting. Comments must be submitted prior to the vote.
The special commission meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Comments
79 Responses to “Escambia Commission Votes Tuesday On Reopening Beaches. Here’s How To Submit Your Comments.”
If we don’t get this right, our circumstances could well be worse by the end of the year, not just in the number of deaths or the spread of the disease, but economically. If businesses received funds to reopen and have to turn around and close again, it’s much more likely their doors will be shut for much longer, if not for good. Money to reopen again might be a lot tougher to come by on the next round. Crowd control on the beaches requires resources that are needed elsewhere and, with summer on the way, there will be more people on the beaches Many of them will NOT be locals. If we are still seeing an increase is cases, how likely is it that we are going to see a drop if we open now?
Need open beaches Morning and afternoon only.
Open the Beaches – WITHOUT time constraints. They should have NEVER been closed. The stats from this virus do not support these measures. Not one, not even one model that all these restrictions were based on has been correct. If it is so contagious, why haven’t the “essential” workers contracted it ???
Healthy people need to build up an immunity. Apart from our constitutional right – there is much healing in the sun & saltwater. It makes absolutely no sense to keep them closed.
IF there are any restrictions – keep the picnic tables closed & limit congregating – trust me this can be done – for the last 4 weeks I have sat on my balcony and watch over-zealous life guards reprimand anyone who dare walks to the beach or water.
We have the freedom to enjoy the beaches – it has been unjustly taken away – it’s time to restore the freedom the government had no rights to take away.
Open the beaches! Let Freedom Ring!
To have all these other business fully operable as in grocery, banks, industry, manufacturing, dealerships etc the list goes on and on. To keep the beach closed is a huge overreach off power and enough is enough. If you’re that worried about Flu, Swine-Flu H1N1, Corona, Common Cold and many more stay home with your mask and gloves on so you can keep your peace of mind but the majority will not tolerate the fear mongering anymore!!!
The original intent was to flatten the curve so hospitals would not collapse. Hardly a soul in the ER last week. The intent was not to hide in our homes, collect welfare, and watch the economy collapse until a vaccine is approved. If so, stay inside while the rest of us save our country so you can have something when you decide it’s safe to come outside.
After reading these comments, yes, open the beaches. The “herd” could use a little thinning of those lacking common sense.
Need to comply with ” opening guidelines” recommended/provided by Florida Governor BUT if beaches are open, keep it to locals.
C 19 test sites locations posted/provided for those who need testing and also check for carriers of C 19.
Health care and economic crises we have.
Stay safe, stay alert
yes open the beaches just not the bars. outside is much safer than inside
Open the beaches. Save our economy and quit letting the media dictate our freedoms!
Please don’t open the beaches. We need to just have patience. If you end up opening them then those who go if they get sick they should be made to sign a paper stating they don’t want treatment!
It should follow guidelines of the medical professionals. Also common sense should help.
I vote no. It is too early to open the beaches. All these people for opening the beach mention sun. The sun is not concentrated on a beach. As a matter of fact, I have some right in my yard. Beaches usually involve drinking for some leading to unwise choices of kissing or cuddling with mere strangers; tackling strangers in a game of foot ball, or the unpleasant vomiting.
I would not go to beach if it opened, but all of you saying you would now could potentially cross my path whereas before you were quarantined and less likely carrying COVID-19 now with your beach excursions where I imagine you will not be wearing masks, washing hands, or sanitizing hands appropriately, you suddenly become a hazard to the people you come in contact with. For me, I have asthma and have higher risk. You could come in contact with a 5-year-old with asthma and put at risk. The beach isn’t going anywhere — I think a late season or no season won’t hurt anyone. The same can be true the other way with 100% certainly.
I vote no. It is too early to open the beaches. All these people for opening the beach mention sun. The sun is not concentrated on a beach. As a matter of fact, I have some right in my yard. Beaches usually involve drinking for some leading to unwise choices of kissing or cuddling with mere strangers; tackling strangers in a game of foot ball, or the unpleasant vomiting.
I would not go to beach if it opened, but all of you saying you would now could potentially cross my path whereas before you were quarantined and less likely carrying COVID-19 now with your beach excursions where I imagine you will not be wearing masks, washing hands, or sanitizing hands appropriately, you suddenly become a hazard to the people you come in contact with. For me, I have asthma and have higher risk. You could come in contact with a 5-year-old with asthma and put at risk. The beach isn’t going anywhere — I think a late season or no season won’t hurt anyone. The same can be true the other wat
.
OPEN THE BEACHES!! All beaches full hours!! WE THE PEOPLE NEED THE OUTLET, the fresh air, the healing sunshine and waves!!! We’ve been punished enough for a virus brought to us!!! OPEN OPEN OPEN!!!’nnn
JustAClinicalScientist – right on! I’ve been a nurse working most of my career in ER/ICU. Please open the beaches. Fresh air, long walks are great and we need to get things open. I appreciate the steps the Mayor is taking so EC Commissioners follow suit and open things up. For those who have concerning issues – stay home. No one is making folks go anywhere. Venture out as you see fit. I’m ok if you want to limit the beaches to locals (in fact that’d be great) but please don’t keep them closed.
I miss my favorite shops, restaurants and parks.
Open up the beaches NOW!!! Sunshine KILLS germs. Quarantines KILL people
” If you feel its unsafe…stay home”????
Why the hell do you think they were shut!!!
Selfish is as selfish does
Do NOT reopen!
Open the beaches for residents only with no restrictions, both would help with over crowding. If the guidelines from the very beginning have been 6 feet distance why does this not work at the beach?.
I say open them up if you feel it’s unsafe stay HOME!!!!!
Please re-open the beaches with full hours! If folks don’t want to go, they don’t have to! There is PLENTY of beach to do this without crowding. Plus, tests clearly show COVID-19 does not survive long with the solar radiation and UV rays that are present on the beaches.
Fact: The COVID-19 virus dies rapidly in sunshine, less than a second.
Fact: Fomites (small respiratory particles that might contain the virus) expelled from the lungs of a carrier via coughs or sneeze, in higher humidity air, are less likely to spread the distances being reported that lead to the “six foot rule” which still applies to dry, air-condition inside spaces.
Fact: Even physicians can be misinformed and panicked about epidemics (as noted in the comments here), biophysics, and biochemistry have not changed due to COVID-19.
Fact: In Escambia County there have been 470 cases of COVID-19. There have been 117 days since the New Year, the daily avg of new cases at this point is 4 (Four).
Fact: SARS (also a Corona Virus) has been extinguished since 2004.
Fact: China is lying about this epidemic and their reported numbers are on their face nonsense. (Seriously, like a “D” student cheating on a lab test level nonsense)
This virus is likely to follow the same route as the SARS virus.
OPEN THE BEACHES, DON’T BE ALLERGIC TO FRESH AIR AND SUNSHINE
Right now, we are our own worst enemies in the economic damage we are doing to our own community by being a county of shut-ins due to the Chinese COVID-19.
Open the beaches and restaurants!!! Open EVERYTHING! This long lasting overreach is ludicrous!
People have lost sight of what this “quarantine” started out as originally. To keep hospitals from being overwhelmed! Our hospitals are not overwhelmed. Now it’s turned into a whole different concept. Are we going to finally end this shutdown when it’s totally eradicated? Are we going to shut down life every year when flu season starts?? The fearful ones and fear mongers are always out there yapping away. * Stay at home if you’re scared.* Stop trying to take away peoples right of living a normal life away, bec your scared to get sick or politicians are afraid of not getting re-elected! This has become so much more like government overreach, media’s time to shine ( the media that no one trusted be fore this event) and the fearful whiners soap box hour. People freely give up rights to “feel” safer. Such danger in this! Turn off the news, people! Media is sensationalizing everything to no avail, and they are basking in and taking advantage of all the people treating them as if they finally have credibility and don’t lie.
Open the beaches and allow businesses to begin to open so they can do damage control and begin rebuilding what they once had. We go to work every day and shop, exposing us to a variety of potential health issues to include the COMMON FLU. Please stop making it impossible for the service industry, they have struggled and the country to living in fear. Let’s all be smart and excersise caution when entering the public and as many have said stay home if you are uncomfortable when entering public places. We are supposed to be trusted, responsible citizens that are expected to act as such. Accountability is lacking and that is probably a fear we all have and why we have restrictions, it’s time to hold people accountable and allow the rest to move forward.
Yes open the beaches most people go to the beach in pairs don’t have large groups right now it is a place where a person can relax and enjoy don’t have any restrictions on time that people can go and if someone doesn’t want to go stay home
They have said sunshine is good for this..Salt water heals all,,So open the beaches,,There are people in Pensacola who don’t own boats so this is the only way to be on the gulf and if scared,,Stay home.
Benchmarks set to reopen the beaches are set by the amount of money gets passed under the table to certain people that has the power to declare “its safe”
Yet…there is in the whole world no expert on what to do.
Politics will exacerbate the problem 10 fold
They are not qualified to make that call as every state is making their own rules
My opinion like it means anything..and it dont…leave the beaches closed. Slip me some money…and I would say reopen them..then leave town
Absolutely open them!!!
Open the beach.They are already being patrolled regularly by the lifeguards and also ECSD.
The beach is a safer place then the open retail stores and will help relieve the pressure on places like the bluffs and other open parks.
Please open the beaches! And we should not have restrictions except for no large group gatherings. Every weekend people are ignoring the closures. We see several cars and many of them are with out of state plates. It is time. We should be able to enjoy the beaches we love so much. Please do not have reduced hours, this just causes larger crowds because you can only visit in a short time frame.
More than 100 doctors and nurses, 21 police officers, and 10s of thousands of people with compromised immune systems have died. So keep the beaches closed. I get that young people want to get out there and they may not really get sick but they can easily pass on the virus to others who will. The first responders are forced to be out and in contact with people, they don’t have the choice to stay home. All the selfishness from the public about the beaches is is so very pathetic. I’ve got an idea, how about, for once, we stop thinking about only ourselves and our needs and work together as a community to protect every one.
Do not reopen. Can this even be a question? Cases are still growing in Pensacola. We have more deaths in our county from COVID than some states! Do not be so irresponsible with the lives of your constituents. Listen to data and reason please.
Before the beaches closed I initially thought it was a good idea to keep them open with the restrictions. However as a person who lives on Pensacola Beach I can tell you, the restrictions were not followed when the beaches were opened earlier in the pandemic. The worst offenders were those residents of the county most specifically many teenagers from the local high school. They would not listen to the lifeguards about social distancing or keep their numbers small. They will likely do the same thing if the beaches are reopened. Also I don’t see how you’re going to enforce keeping it to residents only and I fear huge numbers of tourists will flock to the area making this problem even worse. If I fell people would abide by social distancing and keeping groups in low numbers I would be for opening the beaches but we have previously seen that this will not occur. As someone who works at a local hospital and has a newborn at home I beg Escambia County Commission to keep the beaches closed until we know it is safe and the pandemic is definitely under control.
It’s time to reopen the beaches. Fresh air, sunshine and salt water is good for the soul and body. Enough of the control of our God given rights.
Open them up , use the old gas rations method from the 70s , rotate odd and even tag #s for each day of the week ,odd tags on mon,even tags on tues,etc. If tag ends in letter simply convert it like the phone key pad does. Everyone remain calm,use good common sense and treat others as you would have them treat you !
NOT A GOOD IDEA AT ALL!!!! We need to think about the doctors and nurses that are going through so much right now. We have to think of others and not be selfish. God put the beach on this Earth it’s not man made it’s not going anywhere. Please don’t do it! Children will be there because parents will bring them and they don’t need to be around all of the crowds. We need to be logical about taking this slow and carefully.
I say wait until we have no new cases for a solid 14 consecutive days! This virus is a PANDEMIC!! Why would you open a public place were you know people are not going to adhere to the guidelines when we still have ongoing new cases? I am wondering if the reason why we are still having new cases is because of the Walmarts and Targets and grocery stores, etc..they should have shut them down too to just online/curbside. Bottom line, I would feel more comfortable until we have had no new cases for 14 consecutive days.
Open beaches with out tourists. Keep the hotels, ect. closed to prevent out of state cases coming into Florida. Check on all out of state license tags. Close the borders except to essential workers. Let Floridians have our beaches back to enjoy, with social distancing. We all know that out of state people will not follow the two week quaranteen!
Don’t compare going to Walmart and groceries stores to going to the beach, food and things at the grocery stores are for necessities, the beach is not a necessity it’s for pleasure, if you want to risk your life and the lives of your love ones and others for a few hours of pleadure on beach, doesn’t make sense. If I risk my life and others let it be for something I need not something I want.
Do, or don’t… it’s whoever goes death wish
Open the beaches. If you are concerned, stay home.
Opening the beach so people can enjoy the sand and sea for recreational use is way safer than allowing the public to access the grocery store. If anyone feels it’s too soon to open the beaches, they may chose to stay at home. Social distancing must be adhered to while on the beach. The President’s medical adviser said the virus cannot survive in direct sunlight and heat. Where can we find plenty of sunlight and heat? You guessed it; the beach! I would like to take a swim before the water gets too warm. Please and thank you.
Would it be possible for anyone in a governance positron to use common sense or scientific understanding. Keep the beaches closed so we don’t begone the next epicenter due to yet more incomprehensible fiscally minded behavior.
Have you seen the crowds at the Bluffs? I don’t think opening our beaches right now is a wise move. Give this ”flattening out” time. We’ve made it this far, a week or two more may be all that is needed to keep everyone safe.
I vote to reopen the beaches. Common sense says that if you’re concerned about getting sick, stay away from other people! Don’t go to the crowded parts of the beach.
Hope for everyone’s sake it’s not a few hours here and there a day/week. It will create issues… (not for me… I could care less)
Open them up if its safe enough to go to Lowes, Home Depot, and Walmart with no empty parking spaces then it will be safer to be outside and practice social distancing. We have to get the country back open. Scientists are driving fear.
There are frequent instances of disregard for social distancing…Walmart, parks, outside restaurants. Social distancing is really the only and best aspect of virus prevention. Do you really think open beaches will be any different? I love the beach! I love the businesses at the beach. Let us all practice maturity: short term prevention for long term gains.
No the beaches need to stay closed even to pensacolians we are no where near over this pandemic and you people need to realize that money is not worth.peoples lives i just dont understand why it is so hard for people like you that make decision for the city of pensacola to understand that we have increasing cases of covid everyday and people dying from it and you people want to open the beaches and bring all these tourists into town so we as a city much less a state will have to continue dealing with this crisis everyone of you need to understand a little bit of fun on these beaches are not worth people dying
I might enjoy having the restrictions is a little bit I do not want all of the out of town and out of state visitors flocking to our beaches in mass quantities spreading the virus restrictions need to remain in place until we are sure what is going on otherwise we will kill off all the elderly people that are here
If I can go to Walmart I should be allowed to sit on a beach.
As a physician I would advise against reopening. Despite recent nonsensical political and media jabber covid has not decreased to the point where social distancing can cease. Reports fron California and south Florida show rapid abandonment of social distancing on beaches, the same is likely to occur in Pensacola. Anyone who has visited a beach in the past has probably been struck by wind borne sand or seaspray. Clearly even a six foot distance from a covid infected individual would not prevent shed respiratory viral excretions from traveling large distances via this route. If the beach is opened there will also be great impetus to open the bars and restaurants at which point all semblence of social distancing will be lost. When the time comes to reopen the commission might do well to consider an initial lottery based admission to restrict crowding.
Give us freedom.
YES!!! Open our beaches from sunup to sundown so spread out when people come. We have been social distancing at the beach forever, we just didn’t know that. Being outside in the sunshine is the best thing. Hope they’ll open the restaurant soon since so many of them have outdoor seating. So yes yes yes open the beach. Just remember we have choices if you don’t feel comfortable then don’t go to the beach stay indoors.. If you feel comfortable you should have the choice to go.
Yes, but with restrictions. If the rules are not followed kick them off the beach
YES…Fresh air and sunshine are essential for good health and morale. We can still practice social distancing. Grocery stores at the moment are more crowded than the beaches would be. Life cannot stop completely. There will always be some danger somewhere.
I do not feel it is safe to re-open the beaches at this time unless it has tight enforced restrictions! It should only be open at certain times for locals only, so we won’t be flooded with people from out of state. The Beach should be monitored for only a certain number of people each day so we can keep social distancing and low numbers in groups. Thanks
YES…Sunshine and fresh air are essential for good health and morale. We can still practice social distancing. Grocery stores at the moment are more populated than the beaches would be. We cannot stop living life. There will always be some danger somwhere.
Absolutely NOT! The beaches should not be opened at this time. We are in a global pandemic people. Hello! People can refrain from laying on the beach while their neighbors are sick and possibly dying from this virus. How selfish can you get? In fact the City of Pensacola and Escambia County need to take a firmer stand on social distancing and outdoor activity restrictions. We live off Scenic Highway and the bay overlooks are “flooded” every day with people parking and walking down to the Bay Beach. These are considered public city parks and people are using this loop hole (city parks are not closed) to lay on the bay beach EVERY DAY. Its shameful and disrespectful. These people have a selfish, self centered, blatant disregard for the community and public health and safety. It’s more important for them to lay on the beach than to follow the safety guidelines of their community and the state restrictions to stay at home to prevent the spread of a global pandemic. How selfish can you get? I have called the Pensacola mayor’s office, Pensacola City Police and WEARTV and no one is interested in this story. These Bay overlooks are packed every day with people violating the beach ban already. That should be the real story. People are too selfish to care to protect t their communities.
I want to hit the beach also, but leave it closed for 2 more weeks to be safe.
THE SURF AND SAND ISN’T GOING ANYWHERE.
N0. Why would anybody even consider lifting ban when we have to many cases already..Selling out our safety for tourist dollars.
Reopening the beaches can be a multi-phase approach. The initial phase would be to reopen the sandy beach areas, leaving restaurants operating as curb side and takeout only. Social distancing guidelines can be implemented similarly to what local golf courses have successfully implemented. Most of the comments against reopening the beaches on this website and several other websites are taking the position that the reopening is an all-or-none approach to full access and return to business as normal.
If you do, no out-of-state visitors. Check IDs at your yellow tape.
I feel that if is a selfish decision to even consider opening beaches. For selfish people to come and have fun during a time like this. There is no way to control or monitor people coming off the beach into store around another people who are responsible enough to realize this isn’t a game it’s people’s life’s we’re talking about here. The beaches should not be open there is no way to safely monitor who has it who doesn’t have it ect. This is a disaster waiting to happen. The spread of the virus is going to be out of control. This idea is insane to me.
Open for locals only and if you don’t want to go stay home but don’t go to Walmart neither then.
Yes open to locals only no large groups. Use common sense! Curfew with soft opening.
Beaches are a privilege for residents and tourists. They are not required or essential or anything you must have. Wait on the opening. Too soon. The opening will be abused by those who perceive themselves indestructible.
Yes please Re Open!!!!!
So if you don’t want the beaches open then close Wall Mare, Publix, CVS. Lowes, Home Depot, and all the other businesses that are packed with people. At the beach there is plenty of room to social distance. CV-19 will last less than a minute in our heat and humidity.
People need fresh air by the sea. The chance to walk and swim and fish. Social distancing must be enforced to protect others. Same with pier. Control of a finite number allowed on the pbridgepier is also vital to safety. Towels for drying off only not sunbathing to avoid breaking social distance. Same with chairs meaning no chairs. Picnic at beach pavilion only and social distancing also enforced there to keep social distance at pavilion.
Please be smart and don’t open the beaches. Law enforcement will be exhausted trying to control people who will NOT stay 6 feet apart and WILL congregate in large groups. Louisiana is still highly infected and a lot of our visitors are from there. It’s too soon. Again don’t bend to pressure. Be our true advocates and keep the beaches closed for now.
It should be reopened with a few restrictions. Going to the beach could not possibly be any worse than grocery shopping at Walmart.
Yes, beaches need to reopen, as well as retail. Especially mom and pop stores. If we can cam go shop for groceries, we can shop anywhere! And one on one contact situations such as nail and hair salons, barbershop, the employees should wear masks for now. *hard to get your hair cut in a mask. Contrary to ponsoldt belief, people do need clothes, sometimes situations arise that require new household items and not everyone wants the junk at Walmart.
Open!! You can and should open the beaches sun up to sundown. For now, don’t allow beach hotel, condo or house rentals. That will prevent tourist traffic and overcrowding. Trust people to be safety minded.
It’s way too early to be opening up anything believe me I am so ready to leave my home and go and do the things I want to do like eat out go to the mall walk in the beautiful white beaches but I am not ready!
We should be A little more patient it really aggravates me to see groups of people at the beach in a boat in the gulf and not following rules and regulations those people need to stay home and listen to the government it is really all up to us to do what we’re told so that we can get back to normal
NO!!! Not yet – there is NO WAY to do this safely – we are the ones left to die then they go home and spread it some more!!
Maybe to soon, but good old common sense
No. We have no way to stop vacationers from flooding our beaches from states with hotspots….they will be sightseeing in town also. We have stay at home orders and I think we should do what is recommended by scientists and medical professionals.