The closure of all county and state beach parks on the Big Island will be extended for two additional weeks, according to a statement from Mayor Harry Kim’s office.
The parks will reopen 7 a.m. on Oct. 1.
The intent of the closures is to prevent the further spread of the virus by limiting gatherings at the beaches.
State Department of Health contact tracing has shown that large gatherings are a key source of the virus’s spread, with several clusters being linked to social gatherings, according to the statement.
“Everybody has been really cooperative and have observed the rules to keep us all safe,” Kim said in the statement. “The past two weeks have shown a tremendous improvement, and we want to make that we keep slowing the spread of the virus.”
Beach parks and coastal parks may be used for direct access to and from the ocean in order to engage in exercise, fishing and gathering food. Park restrooms and showers will be open during the hours of 7 a.m. through 7 p.m. daily.
The extension of the closures, which originally were to end on Sept. 19, will be stipulated in Amendment 2 to the mayor’s COVID-19 Emergency Rule No. 11.