What’s going on with the Delaware beaches?

By Lauren Kelley
July 6, 2020

It’s tough to go a day, let alone an hour, without seeing or hearing a new update about COVID-19. Text messages like the one below are common this summer.

A responsible correspondence between friends during an outbreak. Photo by Lauren Kelley

The Delaware beaches have faced an abundance of criticism ever since Phase One began on June 1, 2020. Phase One permitted restaurants to open up and offer limited table seating by reservation only, with no bar service.

Getting an alcoholic drink at a bar was possible in the first phase, but it needed to be delivered to a table while you were seated. Masks were required when moving about the restaurant, and capacity was limited to 30 percent.

My friends and I out during the first week of Phase One. Photo by Tracy Kelley

When Phase Two began, bar stools were allowed back at the bar. This was very exciting. Bar service was no longer restricted, reservations were no longer necessary and capacity was bumped up to 60 percent.

Many bars allowed customers to socialize from table to table, as well as dance and move about the establishment. Masks were required in this phase as well. Going out on the town was finally starting to feel relatively normal again.

Phase Three was supposed to begin on July 1. However, Delaware regressed back to Phase One before making it to the third phase. This is due to an outbreak of cases among young people at the Delaware beaches.

Testing was offered in Dewey Beach at the end of June. Photo from Cape Gazette

Testing for COVID-19 is offered for free all over the state. You can make an appointment online or wait in line. You typically receive your results within three days of getting tested.

Testing has been offered by a number of providers including Beebe, Bayhealth and the Delaware Emergency Management Agency.

One issue that the beaches are facing is that of misleading headlines in the local news. Recently, Governor Carney put out a mandate that essentially put Delaware back into a modified Phase One.

This means that bars and restaurants are restricted to table service only. Bar stools are removed from the bar. This does NOT mean that bars are closed, which is what many of the misleading headlines imply.

One example of a misleading headline is that of Delaware Online’s recent article. Although similar to many other headlines, this one received a high amount of criticism. The headline reads, “Carney: Bars at Delaware beaches to close ahead of July 4th weekend due to coronavirus spike.”

A headline that implies bar closure. Headline by WMDT47

A headline such as this makes readers believe that establishments will be closed for the weekend, and this is untrue. Although many bars voluntarily closed or restricted services to protect their employees and patrons in the week leading up to the holiday weekend, they were legally allowed to open for table service.

Dining indoors and outdoors is permitted if the establishment allows it. Plenty of establishments offer takeout food, too.

Although the circumstances are not ideal, adhering to these restrictive guidelines is important for the health of residents and visitors. The CDC advises people to do their part to try and slow the spread of the coronavirus.

An announcement from multiple bars in Dewey Beach. Photo courtesy of Rusty Rudder Instagram

Going into Phase 2 felt a little premature to me. It felt foreign to be able to walk up to the bar, order a drink, and then walk around and socialize- but people just went with it. Now, the beaches, the employees and their patrons are facing repercussions.

The number of cases in southern Delaware have risen in the last few weeks. People are out of work, places are short-staffed and everyone is stressed. Mass hysteria has caused some establishments to close on their own volition.

 

 

 

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Lauren Kelley

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