Crowds of beachgoers have charged on to the beaches in Jacksonville, Florida after the shores reopened to the public despite the coronavirus pandemic. Jacksonville beaches reopened at 5pm on Friday under limited hours and use restrictions, even as Florida recorded its highest single-day increase in confirmed coronavirus cases. Photos and video from the scene show enthusiastic residents cheering as they ran out onto the sand after weeks of closures. Florida Department of Health said confirmed cases in the state rose by 1,421 Friday, the highest one-day number yet. The total number of cases in Florida is now 24,753. The number of deaths has reached 726, an increase of 58 in the last 24 hours. Jacksonville's beaches will be open daily from 6am to 11am and 5pm to 8pm for exercise such as walking and swimming only. Banned are sunbathing, chairs, towels, or loitering on the shore, and beachgoers are required to remain six feet apart. By 8pm on Friday night, many had already left the beach - adhering to the curfew. 'If for some reason it turns to helter skelter, we're going to pull the plug again,' Mayor Lenny Curry warned on Friday. Curry said he is letting the public back onto Duval County beaches because he is 'encouraged' by the rate of infections and hospitalizations and said there is evidence they are flattening the curve. 'This can be the beginning of the pathway back to normal life,' he said on Thursday. 'Please respect and follow these limitations. Stay within the guidelines for your safety as well as for the safety of your neighbors.' On Thursday, Trump laid out his three-phase plan for re-opening states one by one if they show falling case numbers. However, the guidelines did not specifically address how to handle outdoor spaces such as parks and beaches. Florida officials, including Governor Ron De Santis, were criticized early on in the pandemic for not closing the beaches during spring break. Shocking photos from March show huge crowds frolicking on the sand and ignoring social distancing advice. Mayor Curry's move means residents can go for a walk, swim, surf, run or fish, as long as they adhering to social distancing guidelines. However, sunbathing, camping overnight and gatherings of more than 10 people will be banned. People have also been warned to enter the water at their own risk as lifeguards will not be on duty. Jacksonville is one of the first major metropolitan areas to open their beaches. Santa Cruz in California also lifted restrictions to allow surfing for the first time since a lockdown was implemented. Jacksonville Beach Mayor Charlie Latham said: 'If we have to close the beach again, we'll do it. Safety is still our top priority.' 'This not a time to lounge. This is not a time to party. This is a time to exercise and keep moving,' Atlantic Beach Mayor Ellen Glasser added. Neighboring St Johns County announced that its beaches will also be open from 6am to 12pm, seven days a week, under similar restrictions that only allow exercise. Most other Florida counties have kept their beaches closed in a bid to stop the spread of the virus. Beaches in Glynn County over the state line in Georgia have been open since April 3 for exercise only. It follows statements from the Trump administration, alongside the president's three-phase plan, outlining how re-openings will begin at a local rather than national level. Among the first states to push to reopen appear to be states that Trump carried in 2016 that are led by Republican governors, while a number of urban centers including New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans, and Washington, D.C. continue to be hit hard. Axios reported that Texas and Florida, both critical parts of coalition, would 'set the standard' for reopening. Alabama, and Mississippi are 'expected to move quickly,' sources told the publication. On Friday morning, the head of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Robert Redfield, indicated that the first openings might come at a local level rather than a state level. Nationwide, a total of 4,951 Americans died in the 24-hour period ending at 8pm Thursday, an announcement which came just minutes after the president delivered remarks to the nation about the need to reopen as quickly as possible. Trump declared the nation is in the 'process' of winning the war against the coronavirus, and announced the new phased return toward normalcy last night, even as deaths and infections in the nation continued to rise. The reopening of the beaches in Jackson were deemed as premature by some. 'This is really a crazy bad idea,' Jacksonville resident Deborah Melvin told ABC News. 'I'm afraid. I'm afraid for myself. I'm afraid for my family. Everybody should use their common sense.' Trump last night further backed away from his claim of having 'total' authority on when to reopen the country – and told Americans he would 'allow' governors to reopen at their discretion. But his administration's three-phase guidelines provided only a general idea of how and when states would be able to graduate to a point where their citizens could congregate, work, get educated, and dine in public. He said states would make decisions on when to reopen – a turnaround from what he said on Monday, when his bold pronouncements brought a rebuke from New York Gov. Andrew Como, who said the president is not a king. There was ongoing confusion Friday about which parts of the country would reopen first and under what conditions. A total of 4,951 Americans died in the 24-hour period ending at 8pm Thursday, which came just minutes after the president delivered remarks to the nation about the need to reopen as quickly as possible. The head of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Robert Redfield, indicated that the first openings might come not on a state-by-state basis but county-by-county. 'There's a number of jurisdictions that are very close to having that capability,' he said. The guidelines state that an area must show declining infection over 14 days. Redfield added Friday that it must be declining 'consistently.' Santa Cruz in California also lifted restrictions to allow surfing for the first time since a lockdown was implemented The head of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Robert Redfield, indicated that the first openings might come not on a state-by-state basis but county-by-county He said it was 'really, really important that the outbreak in these jurisdictions is really declining consistently over a two-week period' for reopening to occur. But he said there are currently a number of jurisdictions with 'have limited activity' for spread of the disease. Redfield pointed to the ability to conduct rapid testing and contact-tracing, as well as being able to test individuals who present a 'flu-like' illness. It was not immediately clear which jurisdictions, if any, have that capability now. Among the first states to move to Phase One appear to be states that Trump carried in 2016 that are led by Republican governors, while a number of urban centers including New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans, and Washington, D.C. continue to be hit hard. Axios reported that Texas and Florida, both critical parts of coalition, would 'set the standard' for reopening. Source
