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Coronavirus News: Parks set to reopen in Hoboken along with some NJ beaches

Friday, May 8, 2020

Parks set to reopen in Hoboken along with some NJ beaches

Derick Waller reports on parks opening and antibody testing in Hoboken

HOBOKEN, New Jersey (WABC) -- Several parks will reopen to the public in Hoboken Friday, and plans are in the works to reopen some Jersey shore beaches.

The parks opening in Hoboken include the waterfront park along Sinatra Drive facing New York City.

It comes after Jersey City and the state reopened its parks.

Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla said he made the decision based on a downward trend in the number of COVID-19 cases.

Parkgoers will still have to wear face coverings and keep six feet of distance between themselves and people who are not immediate household members.

Meantime, beach towns in the Garden State are trying to find a way forward as we inch toward Memorial Day weekend.

In Belmar, they've decided to reopen the boardwalk Friday.

That's also the case down in Wildwood, Cape May County.

Officials there will also allow home rentals of 30 days or longer starting Monday. Shorter rentals can resume June 1.

Governor Phil Murphy, who just extended the statewide public health emergency into June, is not objecting.

"I don't begrudge Cape May County for trying to lay a plan out," Murphy said. "Tourism is a huge part of their economic reality. We respect that, understand that, and we want to do everything we can responsibly to support it."

And so, yes, some boardwalks are reopening this weekend - but how many people will be using them, with cold rain and chilly weather moving in, remains to be seen.