Mayor Mark Walsifer said the Belmar Police Department and Office of Emergency Management have been monitoring hourly the amount of people using the boardwalk and saw a daily increase of visitors, most likely due to nearby shore towns closing their boardwalks.
They believe that number will only increase as the weather gets warmer, and they made the decision to close the boardwalk due to concerns for public safety and the health and well-being of residents.
Beaches will remain open but will be monitored for social distancing.
To aid in the boardwalk closure and to deter access to the boardwalk, angled parking spaces on the east side of Ocean Avenue will be closed to vehicles.
The beach can be accessed by the opening on 1st Avenue, the cement ramps on 3rd Avenue, 11th Avenue, 20th Avenue and the opening on North Boulevard.
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