Gulf Shores to Temporarily Close Public Beaches
Amid the Coronavirus pandemic, the city of Gulf Shores has decided to temporarily close its public beaches.
Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft announced Thursday morning that all public beaches will close as of 7 A.M. Friday with a tentative reopening date of April 6.
Gulf Shores is also asking the Baldwin County Commission, Dauphin Island, and Orange Beach to close all Alabama beaches for the same time frame.
In a special called meeting Wednesday afternoon, Mayor Craft and members of the city council, adopted a resolution declaring a local state of emergency affecting public health and safety.
Along with the closure, the city made the following recommendations, which are aligned with ADPH guidelines:
- No mass gatherings of 10 persons or more, or gatherings of any size that cannot maintain a consistent six-foot distance between participants (with exceptions noted below). This includes festivals, parades, assemblies, or sporting events.
- Senior adults or those with chronic health problems should avoid gatherings (outside of close family), and avoid travel by air, train or bus.
- Retail businesses should limit patronage at any one time to 50% of the normally allowable capacity.
- Restaurants are strongly encouraged to only offer food for take-out or delivery. Online ordering or curb-side pick-up is also recommended.
- Public buildings should consider whether visitation may be limited. Hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities are encouraged to implement visitation policies that protect vulnerable persons.
- All persons should consider whether out-of-state travel plans may be delayed or cancelled.
- Participants in religious services or events, weddings, funerals and family events should exercise prudence and maintain consistent six-foot distance between participants if possible.
- While workplaces should attempt to heed to these recommendations whenever possible, it is understood that exceptions may be needed for essential government functions, municipal and state legislative bodies, and health care facilities including clinics, hospitals and pharmacies. Consider using means for electronic or video meetings in workplaces if possible.
There are currently 51 confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Alabama with one of those in Baldwin County.
