Ocean City, Maryland – (March 22, 2020): As confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) increase throughout the State of Maryland, and in Worcester County, the Mayor and City Council continue to encourage visitors to stay safe and stay home. Policy leaders met today, March 22, for an emergency meeting which resulted in the closure of Ocean City’s beach and Boardwalk.
Effective at 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 22, 2020, the beach and Boardwalk in Ocean City will be closed due to the rapid spread of COVID-19. This closure will remain in effect thru April 15, 2020, at which time it will be re-evaluated based on the status of the global health crisis. Restaurants on the Boardwalk will be allowed to remain open for carry out service only.
“The number one priority of the Mayor and City Council is to protect our citizens and employees,” stated Mayor Rick Meehan. “We are facing an invisible threat and we are the carriers of this potentially deadly virus. At this time, we continue to request that visitors postpone traveling to Ocean City and that our non-resident property owners reframe from traveling to Ocean City as well. The safest place for everyone right now is in their own home.”
Only residents who reside within the corporate limits of the Town of Ocean will be allowed to walk their dogs or exercise on the beach or Boardwalk in groups of no more than two adults and children at any time. Social distancing will remain a requirement. This will remain in effect until which time it is abused or ignored.
“We are doing everything in our power to protect the health and safety of our citizens, but everyone has a critical role to play,” Mayor Meehan continued. “We all have to work together to do whatever we can to mount our only known defense against this common enemy and that is to practice extreme measures of social distancing. We are taking these drastic steps to shorten the duration of this health crisis. If every single person steps up and does their part by making sacrifices now it will slow the spread of this virus and help us flatten the curve.”
Further updates from the Town of Ocean can be found at: www.oceancitymd.gov/covid19.
If you are experiencing possible COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath) contact your primary care doctor for further screening to determine if you should be tested. Unless you are suffering a medical emergency, please do not show up unannounced at an emergency room or other medical facility. You should speak with your healthcare provider, who can alert an emergency room so that its staff is ready with proper protective gear. To protect yourselves and others, wash your hands often, cover cough/sneezes, clean and disinfect surfaces, and stay home if sick. For more information on Coronavirus and prevention tips, visit WorcesterHealth.org or call 410-632-1100 option #8 to connect to our call center (Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm). For COVID-19 information in the State of Maryland, please dial 211.
So the boardwalk is closed.... but the businesses on the boardwalk can stay open for carry out. That’s good for the businesses, but if the town was so concerned about people staying home and keeping the beach and the boardwalk clear, then this doesn’t make much sense.
ReplyDeleteShame on you, right; food is essential?!?! Including all fast food?? Who cares if they clean between customers or have hand sanitizer. Business for some as usual. Just make sure you tell the cop you plan to get carry out, then your walk down the boards is worth it?
DeleteForget all of that what are you gonna do if if a lease is not renewed or even worse you cant pay rent due to the loss of your job Landlords dont give a f$#% ..oh well slide over foxes look who's coming to dinner
DeleteLittle late considering the bars were open until Monday. Total disregard for public safety
ReplyDelete1:51
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts exactly!!!
Thrashers is open and packed u should see the pictures..
ReplyDeleteThey have oc live cams
DeleteThat virus can't survive in thashers lol
DeleteThe Chinese virus is mainly spread by TDS and trolls hoarding toilet paper...
ReplyDeleteIt has zero to do with sex
DeleteThis is a serious disease / weapon
Educate yourself!
ray, you're wearing it out boy
Delete3:38. TDS is not a sex disease...
DeleteOh my they're gonna lose out on parking fees for a couple of weeks.
ReplyDeleteThis should have been done before St. Paddy's Day.
ReplyDeleteThis doesn’t meet common sense guidelines by those in power in ocean city. A closure is just that! This seems like a recommendation, being that restaurants can be open, carry out can occur, dogs can be walked on the boardwalk and beach and you can go exercise. It can’t be “abused or ignored” when your stating it’s a “closure” but yet people can still come and walk, talk, exercise, spend time with their animals etc.
ReplyDeletetwo weeks tooooo late....horrible decisions all based on$$$$$....our leaders...lol...dropped the ball...indecision,,,hesitation..Italy all over, gonna be worse!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's OK to drive to OC get a crab cake to go but you and your wife can't walk on the beach because you don't live there?
ReplyDeleteToothless at best.
Walking on the beach in the sunshine is probably the single best thing one could do to boost immune system.
ReplyDeleteThen again, they may spray us from airplanes so outside may be ver dangerous?
It is so confusing! What is OC Mayor’s thinking?
Spray you from airplanes?? Don't worry, that's just to neuter you so you can't breed and spread more ignorance in the world.
DeleteHow do you believe the bioweapon was delivered?
DeleteToo little too late they should all be ashamed! All the packed places St Pats Weekend!
ReplyDeleteMost people do not have a primary doctor.
ReplyDeleteHopefully it won’t reopen til after Labor Day!! 🤣
ReplyDeletePlaces like OC need to remain closed down for the entire year. If they even open on a limited basis crowds will gather and the virus will get passed around.
ReplyDeleteThe ocean is the reason we all live in Ocean City. To be told that we couldn't go up to the beach or Boardwalk would be Cruel. As far as the eateries on the boardwalk they should have the same rights as all the other restaurants in Ocean City. April 1st to 15th show us signs of how much trouble we're in. So everybody just chill out and give each other a little bit of space so we can get through this. Stay healthy, stay safe. pay attention.
ReplyDeleteALL Bikinis STAY home !!!
ReplyDeleteYou may want to consider sending the Mayor, City Manager & Council Members an email requesting that Ocean City be closed to nonresidents. If you decide to send an email this is what you might say:
ReplyDeletePlease close the access points into Ocean City to nonresidents. The citizens of Ocean City must be kept safe and our health needs to be protected. You do this routinely during hurricanes. This Covid-19 crisis is much worse than a hurricane, so do it now!
I won't need anything for months, I can do without then, and I am following the Presidents Guidelines of sheltering in place, etc. The people who are coming here are not following the guidelines and need to be turned away. They will bring the virus to us and leave it here. Chincoteague and the Florida Keys are restricting entry and we should too.
email addresses
MPaddack@oceancitymd.gov, JGehrig@oceancitymd.gov, LMartin@oceancitymd.gov, MKnight@oceancitymd.gov, DDare@oceancitymd.gov, TDeLuca@oceancitymd.gov, MJames@oceancitymd.gov, RMeehan@oceancitymd.gov, DMiller@oceancitymd.gov
Thank you