Crowded beaches & parks: risky behavior returns as states reopen

(NBC News) – Warmer weather, and with it packed beaches and parks, are adding to the heated debate over how and when to reopen the country.

More than 30 states have now eased COVID-19 quarantine restrictions, but it’s still anything but business as usual.

Opening up comes with new social distancing, sanitizing and other safety measures. The mission is two-fold for business owners: Protecting clients while finding a way to survive the overwhelming economic effects of the pandemic.

There is concern as thousands come back to public areas as well. Some are socially distancing, but in other places, crowds are gathering, despite a heavy police presence.

“I have not seen a lot of use of masks, and there are certain areas and certain times a day in certain places where it doesn’t seem like social distancing is even a thing,” says Chief Peter Davis of the Galveston Island Beach Patrol.

That fact is striking fear in front line medical teams.

“We’re at capacity, and we still do not have enough room if there’s a new wave that comes forward,” says Amy Pacholk, a nurse at New York’s Stony Brook Hospital.