By Eli Rallo
Come summertime hitting the beach is a fundamental pastime for many Garden State residents. Whether you’re lucky enough to find a parking spot at Sandy Hook, be a member at one of the private beach clubs lining Ocean Avenue in Sea Bright, Monmouth Beach or Long Branch or buy a beach pass to the public beaches, Jersey residents share an affinity for one of the Garden State’s greatest outdoor treasures – the beach.
But with the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, guidelines to stay at home, adhere to social distancing and wear masks made this Memorial Day weekend, usually the start of the beach season, different from past ones.
Although many towns sold beach badges prior to this weekend – Donovan’s, a beloved Sea Bright beach bar and restaurant, quickly sold out its beach badges Friday morning – beach club owners, as well as town, county and state officials are trying to preserve the Jersey Shore summer while also adhering to safety guidelines. But will residents do the same?
The Maita family of Fair Haven have been members of Ship Ahoy beach club for nearly two decades and have an optimistic outlook for the summer, though they do acknowledge it will be different from normal beach years. Ship Ahoy has shut down its pools and is enforcing 6-feet-apart rules in addition to the wearing of masks when inside a building.
Maria Maita, matriarch of the family, has some anxieties surrounding the reopenings of beaches. “I fear lack of patience and respect,” she said. “I think we have all been under a lot of pressure. I think we may have a powder keg ready to blow. I pray everyone can take a step back, be grateful for the beauty of the shore and enjoy it safely.”
With guidelines easing, some are worried residents will abandon social distancing in a rush to get back into their routines.
“Will people follow the rules? And to what extent are club owners willing to go to make sure their guests follow the proper guidelines?” Sal Maita asked. “Will fellow members be willing to remind each other or let staff know there are rule breakers?”
Anthony Maita, 26, worries: “People will forget and get lazy about keeping their distance or staying sanitary, especially without restrictions, if they are lifted, and go back to normal.”
“Business and municipality regulations on parking and capacity may be the only difference we see for another summer or two, which will help limit the amount of people in one place, but people will get back to gathering in close quarters as soon as they are given the opportunity,” he fears. “Without a vaccine, however, a spike is always a threat, and summertime gatherings run the risk of overwhelming the health care systems if not approached safely.”
Some Jersey shore residents may choose to stay home, gathering in neighboring backyards with pools, continuing to walk outside and host their own cocktail hours and barbecues.
But in the same vein, many others could be flocking to the shore, a stronger desire to be outside than ever before.
Sophia Maita, for one, will be using the beach as the escape she needs to find serenity during a time of anxiety.
“Because we can still go to the beach, I think that will become my solace,” she said. “Not that it already wasn’t, it’s always been a great place to unwind, but especially now. I hope people are still able to enjoy the summer even while everything is going on. I do know for a fact that once this is all over and it is 100 percent safe to go out without the fear of the virus, Jersey Shore residents love a good party and there will be celebrations all over and Donovan’s better stock up on rum buckets.”
The article originally appeared in the May 28 – June 3, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
