Hello friend,
Last week, I made the difficult decision to reduce parking capacity at Scarborough and Misquamicut State Beaches. That’s not the kind of decision I make lightly. Our beaches are not only part of our shared Rhode Island identity, but they are also critical to the economies of our coastal communities. However, faced with overcrowded beaches and the threat of a spike like we’re seeing around the country, we knew we had to act.
Today, I want to say thank you.
Because of you, we saw a vast improvement in social distancing at our state beaches this past weekend.
Rhode Islanders stepped up this weekend and did a better job of following the rules at state beaches. Despite the heat, mask use was among the highest we’ve seen it all summer. I am deeply proud of every Rhode Islander who recognized the risks that this pandemic presents and took precautions to make their trip to the beach safe.
I’m grateful to all the staff from the Department of Environmental Management and the Department of Health who stepped up this weekend to hand out masks at state beaches, and to local officials who partnered with us to help keep things under control. Most importantly, I want to thank the Rhode Islanders who made this possible by following the rules. This pandemic is incredibly difficult for all of us, but we are getting through it together.
Still, we cannot let our guard down. We need to continue to wear masks, social distance, wash our hands frequently, and keep our groups small. The situation can change quickly, and we need to stay vigilant in order to stay ahead of this virus.
We’re all in this together,
-Gina Raimondo
Governor
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