Ocean City, Maryland, Boardwalk Packed Saturday During Memorial Day Weekend
OCEAN CITY, Md. (WJZ) -- In Ocean City, Maryland, the lifeguards were in the stands for the first time this season, the sun was out and if you were lucky enough, you could catch a wave.
For Chris Sexton from Baltimore, it was heaven.
"Hallelujah! I would think there would not be that many people, but it was more than I expected," he said.
His family enjoyed the ease of this Memorial Day weekend trip.
"We got here really quick. No traffic. We went right through," Amber Sexton said.
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But the coronavirus pandemic was still on many minds.
"We actually booked this two weeks ago. We were just hoping for the best. We wanted to get away, let the kids have some fun and not let this ruin such a big holiday," said Geraldine Lopez, who was visiting from New Jersey. "We just wanted to get away from Jersey!"
She wasn't alone.
"I love the beach and spending time with my family here," said New Jersey native Victoria Frazer.
"We wanted to keep it a little normal for the kids," said Kelly Wallace from Philadelphia. Her fiancé Kareem Robinson called it "a taste of normalcy."
By mid-afternoon Saturday, the boardwalk was packed. Groups of ten or more are prohibited by law, and masks are recommended but not required.
"We have officers on horseback, foot patrol and vehicle patrol," said Ashley Miller with Ocean City police. "If we do see groups of ten or more, we remind them that it is a violation of the governor's order. Depending on the situation, we would determine what kind of action would be taken."
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She did not have immediately have available the number of citations that have been issued since the beach and boardwalk reopened to the public two weeks ago.
"We do see a lot of voluntary compliance," Miller said.
Police remind people it is illegal to consume alcohol in public in Ocean City, Maryland.
Despite some crowds, regulars here say there are not as many people as a typical Memorial Day weekend. With ten miles of beach here in Ocean City, there is room to spread out.
"As long as you keep your distance, we feel good," said Wallace.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
