Gary Mayor To Close Beaches For At Least Two Weeks
“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, Mayor Prince and his team introduced an experimental plan to keep our beaches open to the public while promoting social distancing techniques as they continue to fight the spread of the COVID-19 virus however City of Gary Health Commissioner Dr. Roland Walker has recommended we temporarily close the beaches to effectively control the inundation of the parks by residents and visitors. “We continue to see almost daily double-digit increases in our new COVID-19 positive cases in Gary,” Prince said. “We also must ease the logistical strains on our public safety teams and our beach neighborhoods.”
Effective this Wednesday, July 29th, Prince is ordering the two-week closure of all City of Gary beaches and their parking lots.
Prince is ordering the public to stay off the 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.
Prince also is 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.
“We will assess the situation over the next two weeks and explore ways we can reopen our beaches and still protect the public,” Prince stated.
