PENSACOLA, Fla. — The Escambia County Commission voted 4-1 to keep public beaches closed, extending a closure that had been set to expire.
The decision came the day before a two-week beach closure was scheduled to end. Commissioner Doug Underhill was the lone commissioner to argue for reopening the beaches to local residents.
‘I do believe it’s time to re-open the beaches to locals,’ Underhill said. ‘The governor’s already made sure the welcome mat to Florida has been already rolled up. If you’re not already here, don’t come. There’s no place for you to stay.’
Underhill said he believes the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office can help enforce social distancing on the beaches while they remain open, and he stressed the importance of getting people who work along the beaches back to work.
Dozens of residents submitted comments that were read at the meeting, with opinions both for and against reopening. A number of local surfers asked for an exception to allow them in the water, describing surfing as an isolated activity.
‘We specifically requested that the beaches remain closed, but an exception should be made for surfers,’ said local surfer Nolan Hasting. ‘Surfing is an isolated sport with the majority of us looking to find breaks without other surfers.’
The commission said it will continue reviewing public health data daily and could call an emergency meeting to revisit the decision.