You Can Still Celebrate The 4th Of July At These Florida Beaches This Weekend
Spending the holiday weekend by the ocean in the Sunshine State is looking more precarious by the day. While COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on some 4th of July plans, there are still some Florida beaches open in the state for holiday festivities. In preparation for the holiday, these sandy spots will remain open for weekend visitors.
With the state becoming a hotspot for the novel coronavirus, local governments are looking at putting new restrictions in place to help stop the spread. One of those restrictions has been the closure of beaches over the 4th of July weekend to keep the crowds away.
South Florida was the first region to shut down its oceanfront completely to residents and visitors. This measure has prompted others around the state to wonder if their beach would be next, and which ones they can still hit to carry on this time-honored Florida tradition.
Only the beaches in South Florida have made the ultimate decision to shut down their beaches. For beachgoers in the Jacksonville and Tallahassee areas, however, you can rest a bit easier as the beaches will still be open.
In the Tallahassee region, beaches in Walton, Bay, Gulf, Franklin, Wakulla, Taylor, and Dixie counties will still be open for the holiday weekend.
In a press conference discussing a new face mask ordinance in Jacksonville on Monday afternoon, the city said that it has no plans to shutter its beaches for the 4th of July. That means that Atlantic, Jacksonville, and Neptune beaches will all be open.
St. Johns and Flagler county beaches will also be available for beachgoers, which includes such popular sandy spots as Ponte Vedra, Crescent, and Flagler beaches.
For virus-weary South Floridians, the news of the beach closures was a blow. However, for those still looking to hit the beach this weekend, Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin County beaches will be open, for the meantime.
Across Alligator Alley in Southwest Florida, beaches in Colier, Lee, and Charlotte counties will also be open, including Punta Gorda, Sanibel, Captiva, and Marco Island. However, make sure you're practicing social distancing while hitting the sands.