BOCA RATON, Fla. — There are new calls to reopen beaches in Boca Raton, which have been closed for weeks due to the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
City Council will discuss a resolution Tuesday at 6 p.m. to ask Palm Beach County to reopen "beaches, passive public and private parks and tennis courts, and private golf courses to the public."
The resolution asks for those facilities within the city of Boca Raton to be reopened "as soon as prudently possible."
"The resolution doesn’t say that the parks and beaches should be opened right now, but rather when it’s prudent," said City Councilmember Andy Thomson. "At our meeting, we’ll be defining certain benchmarks for when that will be. And we’ll be discussing the resolution on Tuesday."
City leaders argue that as long as people continue to practice social distancing guidelines and wear cloth face coverings, beaches, parks, tennis courts, and private golf courses should be reopened.
According to the city's website, all beaches and parks are currently closed "until further notice."
You can watch the meeting here.
You may also listen to the meeting by phone. To do so dial the conference number, 1-877-309-2071 and enter the conference code (280 372 380) when prompted. You will be able to listen to the meeting, but no comments can be made by phone.
READ THE RESOLUTION:
The Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District created its own resolution to ask Palm Beach County to reopen beaches and parks within city limits. District officials are scheduled to vote on that measure Monday night.
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Coronavirus | We're Open South Florida
On Friday, beaches in Duval County in North Florida reopened with restricted hours for walking, biking, hiking, fishing, running, swimming, and surfing.
However, the decision by county officials was met with criticism after photos showed crowds of people gathering on Duval County beaches.
According to the latest numbers from the Florida Department of Health, there are 863 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Duval County, compared to 2,209 in Palm Beach County.
For the latest information about Boca Raton's response to the coronavirus, click here.