GARY, IN (WKZO AM/FM) — Due to rising cases of COVID-19, the city of Gary, Indiana has announced that it will close all of its Lake Michigan beaches for two weeks.
This comes after an uptick of viral cases through the city. During the suspension period, police will patrol the shoreline to make sure no one is violating the order.
The order goes into effect on Wednesday, July 29. Some parts of these parks will be available for cycling and other outdoor activity.
The announcement comes by way of Mayor Jerome A. Prince, whose statement can be read in full below:
“Understanding that beach goers from our community and the Chicagoland area have had fewer outdoor venues for exercise and to enjoy the weather because of the pandemic, last week, my team and I introduced an experimental plan to keep our beaches open to the public while promoting social distancing techniques as we continue to fight the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
City of Gary Health Commissioner Dr. Roland Walker has recommended we temporarily close our beaches to effectively control the inundation of our parks by residents and visitors. We continue to see almost daily double-digit increases in our new COVID-19 positive cases in Gary. We also must ease the logistical strains on our public safety teams and our beach neighborhoods.
I agree with Dr. Walker. We must move beyond the experimental plan, as unfortunate as it may be. Effective this Wednesday, Jul. 29th, I am ordering the two-week closure of all City of Gary beaches and their parking lots.
I also am ordering the closure of Marquette Park shelters and all adjacent parking. The park will remain open for recreational activity (i.e. walking, cycling, etc.) as long as social distancing exists. All other parks in the City of Gary will remain open, as well.
I am ordering the public to stay off our beaches for the two-week period. To ensure compliance and our community’s safety, Gary Police Department officers will patrol the full length of our shoreline, and they will evict anyone seen on our beaches.
We will assess the situation over the next two weeks and explore ways we can reopen our beaches and still protect the public.”
