People walk the North Wildwood beach, Saturday, May 2, 2020.   Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

By Paul Goldfinger, MD, Editor@Blogfinger, net   5/7/20.

Blogfinger:    New Jersey’s governor wants to reopen the beaches and promises a set of state guidelines to keep things safe and at a higher level than having each town make its own rules.

When he spoke about this yesterday, he remained vague. He doesn’t know yet how and when to reopen, but Memorial Day is a beach target.  The pressure by the public to open our economy is enormous.  But the virus is still extremely busy in our state.  He has just extended the state restrictions another 30 days.

There are many potential concerns with returning to the beach.  Some are important and known such as the 6 foot distancing, masks for all, and strict hand washing. Will beach crowds be compliant?

And other issues relate to our lack of knowledge, such as whether sea water can support the virus and if droplets can be infectious on the sand.  And maybe, the 6 foot distance isn’t enough for safety.

In OG we will need some crowd control.  Unfortunately, the governor tells us that we can’t limit visitors to just residents. Some towns have said you can walk but not sit in a chair at the beach.

There are other ideas which will be considered  including restricting parking and/or restricting beach badges;  all ideas in the interest of reducing person to person contacts at the beach.

And will the public try to cooperate?  I think so, but it might be difficult to implement.

And the risk in Ocean Grove may be higher than others because we don’t get the typical Jersey Shore beach crowd.  We get enhanced crowds due to mega-events that turn the Grove into a mob scene all over including the beach and then the boards, and then, “lets walk around this beautiful town” and let’s not realize that people actually live here.

The tourists can’t tell us from Disneyland.

From Surfrider.org:   “As an organization that has ‘enjoying our ocean, waves and beaches’ in our mission statement, we desperately want to get back to the beach and surfing.”

“But the important question remains, how can we do so without risking more community spread that puts lives at risk and could result in a relapse and extended closures.

“The CDC has long stated that large droplets released during a cough, sneeze or even an exhalation can travel up to six feet. This finding is the basis for the national 6-foot physical distancing recommendation during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as for other disease prevention efforts including the flu.

“However a new study from MIT has found that droplets carrying an infectious virus can travel much farther, up to a distance of 23 to 27 feet.”

“The science to date tells us that recreating at the beach, and other frequently visited public areas (including parks, trails and more), could put you at higher risk of getting sick when compared to practicing self isolation and sheltering in place.

“Potential transmission routes include inhaling contaminated droplets transmitted through the air; touching contaminated surfaces like railings, parking meters or toilets; or swimming in sewage-contaminated waters. Even if sewage is determined not to contain the viable COVID-19 virus, exposure to sewage when swimming at the beach will put you at risk to a long list of other, harmful diseases and pathogens.

“Please note that much of the research is preliminary and additional studies are needed to confirm coastal transmission routes, but for now, based on the information currently available and large amounts of uncertainty, the best way to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic is to physically distance yourself from others and stay home.”

“To learn more about best practices for keeping yourself, your family and your community safe, be sure to visit the CDC COVID-19 website, and follow local, state and federal policies and recommendations.”

BLOGFINGER:    Going to the beach/boardwalk this season will be gambling.—risky business.   That is because there are so many unanswered questions.    So, are you willing to take a chance?

The stakes are pretty high.  We can open our economy and our lives gradually with safe monitoring. But how about going to the beach on a summer day with the family? How risky is it?   I guess it depends on where you go.

Here is a newly opened beach in southwest Florida this morning.  No problem here:

Bunche Beach in Ft.Myers 5/6/20, 10 am. ABC news was there but no one to talk to.Blogfinger photo. ©

LEON REDBONE