York to keep most beach restrictions in place through Labor Day 2021
The restrictions are rooted in a locally declared COVID-19 public health emergency.
Camille Fine
YORK, Maine — Pandemic-related restrictions at the town's beaches this summer will be nearly identical to those that were in place last summer.
The beaches will be open for sunbathing and swimming, but most COVID-19 safety rules from 2020 will remain in 2021.
Town Manager Steve Burns said Tuesday that the temporary restrictions for Cape Neddick, Short Sands, Long Sands and Harbor beaches will continue through at least Labor Day, as the town's emergency declaration due to COVID-19 remains in effect.
There will be just one difference this year compared to last year, Burns told town leaders in an email.
"At the request of the Parks & Recreation Director, the order now allows high-touch amenities such as shower towers and water fountains," he wrote. "Other than this, the order remains the same as last summer."
What are the rules for York's beaches?
Tents and canopies that are bigger than 4-feet-by-4-feet in horizontal area are still prohibited under the updated rules. Smaller umbrellas and sunshades that are allowed must be placed at least 15 feet away from others, and beachgoers must follow the governor's social distancing requirements.
Umbrellas and sunshades can be set up after 9 a.m. each day, but they may not be left unattended to reserve beach space for extended periods of time, per the rules.
The town again will not provide trash cans on beaches, meaning beachgoers need to practice a “carry-in, carry-out” approach to their own trash.
The town closed its beaches in March 2020, as the pandemic began to disrupt daily life in Maine. The town reopened its beaches in May 2020 for active use only, then the town eased its beach use restrictions in June 2020 ahead of the summer season.
Photos:Independence Day 2020 at York’s beaches
That allowed sunbathers to enjoy the sandy coast over the Independence Day weekend last year.
Maine's latest COVID-19 numbers
The announcement of York's plan for summer beach restrictions came as the number of new daily cases of the coronavirus continued to trend downward in Maine.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Maine did not increase over the past two weeks, going from 469.86 new cases per day on April 18 to 298.14 new cases per day on May 2.
The seven-day rolling average of daily deaths in Maine has risen over the past two weeks from 2.29 deaths per day on April 18 to 2.57 deaths per day on May 2.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that more than 62,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in the state since the start of the pandemic. Maine has also been the site of 790 deaths, including 129 deaths among residents of York County.
This report includes material from the Associated Press.