Memorial Day weekend: Americans visit beaches and attractions with pandemic warnings in mind

The country has started a most unusual kind of Memorial Day weekend. Beach days, cookouts and park visits are underway, but with health officials pleading in the background:

Get some fresh air – but watch how you do it.

People gather on the beach for the Memorial Day weekend in Port Aransas, Texas, Saturday, May 23, 2020. Beachgoers are being urged to practice social distancing to guard against COVID-19. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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After weeks of being holed up with stay-at-home orders because of the coronavirus pandemic, Americans in all 50 states have seen their restrictions loosened to varying degrees. As the country nears 100,000 recorded Covid-19 deaths, epidemiologists warn cases will spike as people increasingly get around.

But the White House’s top coronavirus advisers also said people should feel free to venture outside with proper precautions. Many Americans are taking them up on it.

In coastal southern Georgia, beachgoers laid out on towels, sat under umbrellas and splashed in the Atlantic Ocean at Tybee Island on Saturday morning. They largely respected rules requiring groups stay 6 feet apart and have no more than 10 people.

“It’s like letting the air out of a balloon right now,” Tybee Island resident Don McLemore said about visitors. “Everybody’s coming out, and they’re anxious to get out.”

Very few people were wearing masks.

“If it’s my turn to go, I’m going. If not, I’m enjoying life,” a maskless James Dixon told a CNN crew there.

Tybee Island Mayor Shirley Sessions conceded there were “a lot of people who do seem to be a bit complacent about the seriousness” of the virus.

“We just hope that everybody will be cautious and continue to space distance,” she told CNN. “And if they are around people, to be cognizant of wearing a mask – if not for themselves, for other people.”

People gather on the beach for the Memorial Day weekend in Port Aransas, Texas, on Saturday.

In Daytona Beach, Florida, beachgoers will be asked to stay at least 10 feet apart. Though the city says masks are advised, Mayor Derrick Henry conceded Friday that it’s “not realistic or practical to ask people to go to the beach and wear a mask.”

Some states – New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware – reopened beaches Friday just in time for the holiday weekend. Most beaches will be open in Florida while those in hard-hit areas such as Fort Lauderdale and Miami-Dade County will remain closed.

Rain will keep people inside in some parts of the country this weekend. But where beaches and other attractions are open, officials generally have issued social distancing restrictions and capacity limits.

White House coronavirus task force member Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the nation’s top infectious disease experts, told the public this week that going outside was fine, with cautious measures.

“Go out, wear a mask, stay 6 feet away from anyone so you can have the physical distancing,” he told a CNN coronavirus town hall. “Go for a run. Go for a walk. Go fishing. As long as you’re not in a crowd and you’re not in a situation where you can physically transmit the virus.”

More than 1.6 million people in the United States have tested positive for coronavirus, which has killed more than 96,000 nationwide, according to Johns Hopkins University.

People wearing face masks hug at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art as it reopens to members on August 27.

A child is photographed in front of a Donald Trump wax figure at Madame Tussauds New York on August 27.

Actors Jessica Johnson and Stephen Tompkinson perform at the Minack Theatre in Porthcurno, England, during a production of Willy Russell's "Educating Rita" on August 18.

Visitors enjoy the lobby exhibits during the reopening of the Natural History Museum in London on August 5.

People swim at Jubilee Pool, an open-air seawater pool, after it reopened in Penzance, England, on July 25.

Children pose by Steve McQueen's "Year 3" shortly before the Tate Britain gallery reopened in London in late July.

A park ranger takes a picture of tourists in front of the Statue of Liberty after Liberty Island partially reopened in New York on July 20.

Worshippers of Legio Maria attend a prayer in Nairobi, Kenya, on July 19. Places of worship have reopened in Kenya under strict guidelines.

A floor is marked for social distancing as people exercise inside a gym in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on July 13. Gyms were allowed to reopen after more than three months of lockdown.

Soccer balls are sanitized before a preseason tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico, on July 12. The pro tournament was being played without spectators.

A man watches a movie at a cinema in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 11.

People gather on the Baie des Anges to hear the set of French DJ The Avener during a concert in Nice, France, on July 11. It was the first public show in Nice since France ended its coronavirus shutdown.

Visitors stand in front of the "Mona Lisa" at the Louvre in Paris on July 6. The Louvre, the world's most popular museum, has reopened its doors after months of closure.

A man pours water over himself in London's Soho neighborhood on July 4 — the day pubs, hotels and restaurants were allowed to reopen in the United Kingdom.

People play slot machines at the Ocean Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on July 3. Atlantic City reopened eight of its nine casinos while limiting capacity to 25%.

A diver cleans the inside window of the seal tank at the Tynemouth Aquarium in northeast England on July 2. The aquarium was getting set to reopen.

Visitors take a selfie at the entrance gate of Tokyo Disneyland on July 1. Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea are reopening after months of being closed because of the pandemic. All of Disney's Asia parks have now officially reopened.

People sit at a giant table on the Charles Bridge in Prague, Czech Republic, on June 30. To celebrate the end of the country's lockdown, cafe owner Ondrej Kobza organized the dinner party. "We want to celebrate the end of the coronavirus crisis with people meeting up and showing they're no longer afraid to meet others. That they aren't afraid to accept a bite of a sandwich from someone," Kobza told the Agence France-Presse news agency. The Czech Republic was quick to implement a lockdown at the start of the outbreak and became one of the first countries to tell its citizens to wear masks. That helped it avoid the worst of the pandemic and ease restrictions earlier than many other nations.

Staff members spray disinfectant inside a movie theater in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on June 26. The theater was preparing for its reopening on July 1.

A visitor admires the view from the Eiffel Tower during its partial reopening in Paris on June 25. The elevators were still closed, but people were allowed to use the stairs.

A beach is slammed with people in Bournemouth, England, on June 24. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson began easing coronavirus restrictions in May, but people are still supposed to be distancing themselves from one another.

Maya Evans, right, toasts her friend Tifffany Webster's 30th birthday outside a restaurant in New York on June 22. The city entered Phase Two of its reopening plan. Phase Two allows for outdoor dining and the opening of barbershops and salons. Retail stores can open for in-person shopping at 50% capacity.

Trevor Shimpfky helps a customer select a suit from Custom LAB in New York City on June 22.

Children arrive at the Jules Julien Elementary School in Toulouse, France, on June 22.

People congregate at a snack bar in Barcelona, Spain, on June 21. Spain had just lifted its national state of emergency after three months on lockdown.

Fans of the Hungarian soccer club Ferencvarosi TC attend a match in Budapest on June 20.

Vendor tents are illuminated at the Rot Fai Market in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 19.

People exercise in workout pods at Inspire South Bay Fitness, a gym in Redondo Beach, California, on June 15.

Sue Stamp fits a young girl with a new pair of shoes after W.J. French and Son reopened in Southampton, England, on June 15.

People drink outside a bar in New York City's East Village on June 12. Bars in the city were not allowed to open yet, but many people in New York took to the streets after the city entered Phase One of its reopening plan on June 8.

Workers remove the blocks around an Apple Store on New York's Fifth Avenue on June 12. After 78 days of stay-at-home orders — the longest coronavirus lockdown in the country — New York launched Phase One of its reopening plan on June 8. That meant hundreds of thousands of people could get back to work, including nonessential workers in construction and manufacturing. Retail stores could set up curbside or in-store pickups.

Floor supervisor Dumitru Carabasu sanitizes dice at Las Vegas' Excalibur Hotel & Casino on June 11. It was reopening for the first time since mid-March.

Nail technicians perform manicures and pedicures at a nail bar in Moscow on June 9. The Russian capital ended a tight lockdown that had been in place since late March.

Commuters wear protective masks as they ride a subway train in New York on June 8.

Parishioners are welcomed back to a Greek Orthodox church in Keilor East, Australia, on June 7. Religious services and gatherings for up to 20 people are now permitted in the state of Victoria.

Visitors ride a roller coaster at the Universal Studios theme park in Orlando after it reopened on June 5.

Customers stand on an escalator inside Le Printemps Haussmann, a department store in Paris, on May 28.

A restorer cleans Michelangelo's David statue on May 27 while preparing for the reopening of the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence, Italy.

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange after it reopened for in-person trading on May 26.

A man dives into an outdoor swimming pool in Rome on May 25.

Visitors take photos from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon shortly after sunrise on May 25. Grand Canyon National Park had partially reopened for weekends.

Students in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, study at the Merlan school of Paillet on May 25.

Visitors look at the work of artist Berlinde De Bruyckere at Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, a contemporary art foundation in Turin, Italy, on May 23.

Jasmine Donaldson cleans a movie theater in Auckland, New Zealand, on May 22. Matakana Cinemas reopened May 28 with a reduced capacity to allow for social distancing between seats and in the foyer.

Chinese Communist Party delegates stand for the national anthem at the opening of the National People's Congress on May 22. The annual parliamentary gathering had been postponed.

People visit the ARoS Museum of Art in Aarhus, Denmark, on May 22. The museum opened its doors to the public after being closed for two months.

Surfers take to the water in Lido Beach, New York, on May 21.

People visit the reopened Blaavand Zoo in Denmark on May 21.

People swim at a public pool in Cologne, Germany, on May 21.

Christian Orthodox faithfuls attend a liturgy in Athens, Greece, on May 20.

People visit Florida's Clearwater Beach on May 20. Florida opened its beaches as part of Phase One of its reopening.

People walk in Naples, Italy, on May 19.

People enjoy the water as Florida's Palm Beach County reopened some beaches on May 18. Social-distancing rules were still in effect.

Nuns await a Mass in Rome on May 18. It was the first Mass celebrated by parish priest Marco Gnavi in more than two months.

A worker wears protective gear while cutting a customer's hair at a salon in Nadiad, India, on May 17. India's lockdown was set to remain in place until May 31, but many salons and shops were able to reopen.

Police walk through New York's Hudson River Park with a reminder about social distancing on May 16.

Soccer balls are disinfected at a professional match in Düsseldorf, Germany, on May 16. Germany's Bundesliga was the first major European soccer division to return to action.

Swimmers pay for sunbeds at the Alimos beach near Athens, Greece, on May 16.

People dance at dusk on the beach in Santa Monica, California, on May 13. A stay-at-home order was still in place in Los Angeles County, but some restrictions were modified. Beaches opened for runners, swimmers and surfers, but not sunbathers.

Owner Michael Mattson toasts the re-opening of the Friends and Neighbors bar in Appleton, Wisconsin, following the Wisconsin Supreme Court's decision to strike down the state's stay-at-home order on May 13.

A customer buys eggs at a market in Kunming, China, on May 12.

A woman takes a photo at Disneyland Shanghai after the amusement park reopened in China on May 11. The park had been closed for three and a half months. Visitors are now required to wear masks, have their temperatures taken and practice social distancing.

People eat fries on the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland, on May 10.

People exercise on a reopened promenade next to a beach in Barcelona, Spain, on May 9.

Patrons eat at a restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 9.

Fans cheer during a professional baseball game between the Fubon Guardians and the Uni-President Lions in New Taipei City, Taiwan, on May 8.

Traci Hancock has her hair cut by stylist Jill Cespedes at Shampoo Salon in Fort Worth, Texas, on May 8. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that hair salons, barber shops and tanning salons were allowed to open.

A long line of cars forms as a KFC drive-thru reopens in Plymouth, England, on May 8.

Sue Conklin, owner of Books Rio V, stocks her shelves in Rio Vista, California, on May 8. It was her first day back at the used bookstore since March 28.

A man receives a haircut at Doug's Barber Shop in Houston on May 8.

Two men wearing face masks play chess in Montevideo, Uruguay, on May 7.

People enjoy a beach that had just reopened in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on May 6.

People stand on social-distancing markers at a Mercedes-Benz car dealership in Brussels, Belgium, on May 6.

Kelly Watson puts glass in a recycling bin in Springfield, Missouri, on May 6, The Lone Pine Recycling Center had just reopened.

Customers wait to get their nails done at the Nail Tech salon in Yuba City, California, on May 6.

A man wears a protective face mask while visiting the Old Masters Picture Gallery in Dresden, Germany, on May 6. The gallery had been closed for more than six weeks.

Marco Piovano grooms a dog at his shop in Rome on May 6.

People in Athens, Greece, enjoy a sunset May 5 on the Areopagus hill near the Acropolis.

Kayleigh Tansey and Justin Smith watch a movie in Kyle, Texas, on May 4. The EVO Entertainment movie theater reopened after Gov. Greg Abbott lifted a shelter-in-place order and allowed select businesses to open to the public at no more than 25% capacity.

People line up at a reopened liquor shop on the outskirts of New Delhi on May 4. The six-week lockdown in India, which was supposed to end on May 4, was extended two weeks with a few relaxations.

A man gets his hair cut in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on May 4. Some retail shops and hairdressers started to reopen as the Balkan states gradually lifted coronavirus measures.

Teacher Katharina Schneider welcomes back a group of 10th-graders who will soon face exams in Ettlingen, Germany.

Pet groomers wear face masks as they tend to dogs in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 3. The business was reopened as the Thai government eased measures that aimed to combat the spread of Covid-19.

Farmer Samantha Alvarez, left, hands a bag of onions to a customer at the West Seattle Farmers Market on May 3. Farmers markets in Seattle reopened with guidelines that include fewer vendors allowed, a limited number of customers, and additional hand-washing and sanitizing stations.

Tourists visit the Forbidden City in Beijing as it reopened to limited visitors on May 1.

Leslie Wilson helps her son, JP, tape off booths at Falcone's Pizzeria in Oklahoma City on April 30. Restaurants in Oklahoma City were being allowed to reopen, and Falcone's Pizzeria closed some booths to allow for social distancing.

A waitress wears a face mask while serving customers at a restaurant in Vilnius, Lithuania, on April 30. The Lithuanian government extended the country's nationwide lockdown until May 11, but it gave the green light for museums, libraries, outdoor cafes, hairdressers, beauty salons and shopping mall retail stores to reopen.

Children play on a public playground in Berlin on April 30. Many playgrounds were reopening for the first time.

Garment workers wear face masks as they return to work in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on April 30. More than 500 garment factories in Bangladesh reopened.

A worker checks a person's temperature as they get ready to reopen a commercial center in Santiago, Chile, on April 29.

Surfers in Sydney wait for officials to open Bondi Beach on April 28 as restrictions were eased. The beach was open to swimmers and surfers, but only for exercise.

An employee works on the production line at a reopened Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg, Germany, on April 27. The world's largest carmaker has made 100 changes to the way its plants operate as it tries to restart business without risking the health of hundreds of thousands of workers.

A tattoo artist works on a customer in Atlanta on April 24. Despite criticism, Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia allowed tattoo parlors and some other nonessential businesses to reopen.

A cashier at the Shoe Dept. store rings up a customer at Columbia Place Mall in Columbia, South Carolina, on April 24. Gov. Henry McMaster allowed some stores to open at 20% capacity, or 5 people per 1,000 square feet.

Employees wearing gloves and masks clean walls and railings at the Galleria Dallas mall on April 24. Texas began a "retail-to-go" approach, allowing retail stores to sell to customers through curbside and delivery.

A man covers his face with a mask while getting a haircut at The Barber Shop in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, on April 24. Personal-care businesses in the state have reopened for appointments.

A gym patron lifts weight at Fitness 19 in Lilburn, Georgia, on April 24. Georgia is allowing gyms to reopen with some guidelines for social distancing.

A person wearing a protective mask walks through the takeout-only food court at the reopened Anderson Mall in Anderson, South Carolina, on April 24.

Technicians give pedicures to customers at a nail salon in Atlanta on April 24.

Visitors maintain their distance outside the elephant enclosure at Bergzoo Halle in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, on April 23. Under strict conditions, zoos in Saxony-Anhalt were allowed to reopen after being closed for several weeks.

A child and his father shop at a toy store in Berlin that reopened on April 22. It was the first time the store was open since March.

A woman shops at a bookstore in Rome on April 20.

A groomer trims a dog's fur on April 20 after pet-grooming salons reopened in Prague, Czech Republic.

People crowd Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra, Ghana, on April 20 after the end of a three-week partial lockdown.

Dentist Torben Schoenwaldt and clinical assistant student Rebecka Erichsen care for a patient at Harald Dentists Soenderaaparken in Vejle, Denmark. The office reopened on April 20 and is accepting patients again.

A beach is crowded with visitors in Jacksonville, Florida, after the city reopened its beaches on April 17.

Elementary school children sit at desks spaced about 2 meters (6 feet) apart in Logumkloster, Denmark, on April 16. Denmark was among the first in Europe to close borders, shops, schools and restaurants, and to ban large gatherings, among other measures. It was also one of the first to begin reopening.

On April 14, people wearing protective face masks walk on a small stretch of the Great Wall of China that had been reopened.

Barber Yang Guangyu cuts a client's hair in Wuhan, China, on April 11 while wearing protective gear assembled from a water bottle, mask and plastic pipe. The first city in the world to go into lockdown — and the epicenter of the global coronavirus outbreak — is slowly returning to normal.

Workers assemble cars at a Dongfeng Honda factory in Wuhan on April 8, the day the city's unprecedented 76-day lockdown was lifted.

Here are the areas that are starting to reopen

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Officers and mascots are patrolling beaches and attractions

Natural-resource officers were patrolling Georgia’s Tybee Island on Saturday. At Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, police will enforce guidelines by giving warnings or asking people to leave, Mayor Paul Kanitra said.

In Florida’s Orlando area, the Gatorland wildlife theme park reopened Saturday after weeks of closure. Among its many safety measures: A Sasquatch-looking mascot with a 6-foot wingspan – the Social Distancing Skunk Ape – will wander the grounds, encouraging guests to keep well apart.

The park will offer free masks to guests, and it has added 100 hand sanitizer stations, CEO Mark McHugh told CNN.

“We had hand sanitizers everywhere to begin with. You can’t even turn around without running into one now,” McHugh said.

In Texas on Friday, bars joined the list of businesses allowed to reopen, though with capacity limits.

In that state’s capital, Austin, plenty of people were out getting drinks into early Saturday morning, Taylor Blount told CNN. Several images he posted to Twitter showed one street teaming with people in the night.

Other businesses may reopen as the weather warms up.

In Nevada, Gov. Steve Sisolak says he hopes to be able to allow casinos to reopen on June 4. Sisolak announced Friday that the state’s Gaming Control Board will make a final decision in its next meeting Tuesday. Nevada casinos have been closed since March 17.