‘Getting back to normal.’ Big crowds, few masks on South Beach on first reopened weekend

Beach cabanas up, colorful umbrellas galore and a large array of music blasting from personal speakers: it could almost be a normal day on South Beach — minus the overwhelming crowds and with the addition of social-distancing ambassadors.

It was the first weekend since beaches reopened in Miami-Dade County, after being closed for 12 weeks because of the coronavirus. It was busy, but crowds seemed below pre-coronavirus levels, and beachgoers were still socially distanced from each other; some were in groups, but none appeared larger than 10.

Thirst and first-aid stations were still available to those who wanted to rent chairs or other furniture for their day on the beach via the private beach concessionaire Boucher Brothers. An employee for the company said before 3 p.m. that they had sold out of day beds. The employee reminded guests who strode up to the counter for rentals and concessions that they had to be wearing their masks.

Social-distancing ambassadors in coral shirts were posted outside designated entrance and exit areas to the beach, where they reminded guests they had to wear masks until settled on the beach in their family units.

Miami-Dade County rules state masks are needed when six feet of social distancing is not possible and masks are not required at all in the water.

Representatives from the Miami Beach Police had additional masks for anyone who forgot to bring one along. Some groups pulled their masks back down or off once past the ambassadors.

But one family, consisting of four adults and four children, kept their masks on until they were completely settled under their orange umbrella. Vivaik Gulabram, 40, and his family traveled from Homestead for a day on the beach, and they were thrilled.

“It’s beautiful — getting back to normal,” Gulabram said. “It’s not as packed like it usually is but it’s almost there. Hopefully, we get there soon. ... I want everything to get back to normal.”

The family said they were OK with Miami-Dade’s beach rules meant to minimize the spread of the coronavirus as South Florida opens more and more businesses and public areas.

“We’re OK with it, as long as it keeps everybody safe,” Rashama Kellawan, 44, said.

Savita Kellawan, 34, is visiting her Homestead family from Tampa alongside her 11-year-old son, Calvin Mills, for her 34th birthday. She said as a nurse, she feels the beach is safe to reopen and wasn’t concerned about making the four-hour journey to see her family.

“I work in the healthcare field, so I’m exposed to everyone,” Kellawan said.

Gus Martinez, 26, came to the beach to show off a skill he has been learning and slowly perfecting in quarantine: playing the ukulele. He’s currently working on playing “Location” by Khalid.

“I’ve been waiting on this day to bring my uke here to practice,” Martinez said.

Martinez, a Wynwood resident who worked at “a thing called a bar” before the coronavirus temporarily shuttered those businesses, said he’s happy the local government reopened the beach to visitors.

“This is our playground, our backyard,” Martinez said. “I’m really happy the city of Miami gave it back to us.”

On his way out with his friends, Martinez used a long pole with a claw attached to pick up a discarded face mask.

Beyond the beach, Ocean Drive was closed to car traffic and was taken over by pedestrians and cyclists enjoying the open streets. Restaurants also took advantage of the vacant real estate, pushing socially-distanced outdoor tables into the street.

Over at Haulover Beach just past Bal Harbour, crowds looked similar to South Beach. While most places weren’t too crowded and had good social distancing, some areas saw higher pockets of larger groups that were a little closer together. One lifeguard on the north end of the beach, which is the only beach area in Miami-Dade that allows completely nude sunbathing, said social distancing was not being enforced well.

Crowds were large enough that some of the parking lots where guests who wish to visit the beach or marina can park were at capacity and closed.

South Beach’s colorful social-distancing ambassadors weren’t hanging out at Haulover but there was some enforcement from Miami-Dade County’s Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces department.

At one point, a representative from the department was reprimanding a group of about 11 young adults near the water. The group, like most people around them, weren’t wearing masks. According to the Miami-Dade rules governing beach reopenings, which were posted outside entrances to the beach, masks must be worn when six-feet social distancing is not possible between those not living in the same household.

Shortly after the representative left, the group pulled their masks back off.

On the north end of the beach, another representative told North Miami roommates Nivek Divincci, 20, Nikki Perez, 22, and Octavio Perez, 26, they had to take down their canopy.

When asked about it by the Miami Herald, Divincci only had one word to describe the rule: “stupid.”

Divincci also said he didn’t think the beaches should have ever been closed.

“It was pretty useless what they did about closing them because you know everyone that comes in the beach, they’re kind of already separated,” Divincci said. “I did get the part of closing the beach for the tourists, because that’s a different story, but for the residents I feel like it was stupid.”

Divincci, who had his emotional support dog Diana at his feet, said he feels safe out on the beach.

“Personally, I do, because everyone is following the guidelines,” Divincci said. “They’re all with groups but they’re not like big groups. You know, everyone is distanced from each other, even on a packed day.”

Divincci, who has been to the beach three times since they opened Wednesday, said late Saturday afternoon was the most crowded he’d seen it.

A quiet day in Key Biscayne

Crowds were much quieter on Crandon Park’s southern beach late Saturday morning — and that was just how beachgoers in Key Biscayne liked it.

“People are spaced out enough on this beach versus Miami Beach,” Jason Moeder, 25, said while sunbathing and cradling the book Bolívar.

Moeder, who lives in Brickell, said he was “pretty sure” he wasn’t even going to attempt to check out South Beach in the Miami Beach area.

Lea Grandvalet and Aurelie Platt, both 45, visiting from Coconut Grove and Miami Shores, agreed.

“I was concerned about the crowd in South Beach,” Grandvalet said. Neither she nor Platt, who visited the beach as soon as they reopened in Miami-Dade County on Wednesday, have attempted to brave South Beach’s famous crowded shores.

Platt said she would leave Crandon Park if it started to get too crowded.

The sparse crowds in Crandon Park meant social distancing was relatively easy for visiting beachgoers. Everyone was at least six feet apart but few, if any, wore masks, including lifeguards.

The six feet social-distancing rules exclude family members from the same household, which meant Grandvalet and Platt, who have been friends for 10 years, should have been wearing masks while lounging in the sun. Grandvalet said that rule is a bit much.

“Having the mask on the beach is a bit … it’s kind of tough. Obviously, we’re not following it,” Grandvalet said. “But I don’t feel good about it, I wish they would change that rule. Once you’re settled on the beach and you have, and you mark your perimeter, it should be safe not to wear a mask.”

Unlike on South Beach, there were no beach ambassadors reminding guests to wear face masks and asking if they wanted a lounge chair. Guests were told as they drove through the guard house on the way to the beach that face masks were required when they stepped out of their car. The guard also reminded beachgoers of rules prohibiting pets and glass bottles.

Lieutenant Phillip Mirken with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said that there are 20 security personnel in green shirts enforcing rules. There didn’t appear to be many walking the beach.

Mirken said low crowds at the beach may stem from Crandon Park’s past issues with batches of sargassum that wash up on the beach and bother guests. He said he expects it to get more crowded around the Fourth of July.

Mirken, who patrolled the beaches during the three-month closure, said the area was a “ghost town” at that time. But he did occasionally see people run into the water for a quick dip — and run right back out once they saw him.

Marina Silverman, a community safety monitor part of the crowd Mirken mentioned, said she’s with a company contracted by the county. She said that overall, beachgoers are following the rules, but she’s had the most issues with reminding people that dogs are not allowed on the beach.

If guests don’t run into guards like Silverman, there are signs at beach entrances reminding them of the rules, including the restriction of groups to numbers no larger than 10, the prohibition of any organized sports, canopies and tents and the closure of “social areas.” The beach’s snack shack, children’s park and carousel were all closed, as were most picnic areas. There were a few benches under shade families could snag.

Beachgoers said the small crowds make them feel safe during a day out in the sun. Moeder said that while he thinks the state may be opening too rapidly, he feels the county is following a safe pace.

And Grandvalet and Platt, who were together for the first time since coronavirus shutdowns went into place in March, said they needed the break from the house.

“We were being confined at home for three months. We were social distancing from everyone,” Platt said. “Things have to reopen because we can’t be closed forever. As long as people are careful and aware and do everything carefully.”

Emily Michot contributed to this story.

This story was originally published June 13, 2020 at 1:47 PM.