SUNDAY 2 P.M. UPDATE:
Palm Beach County officials and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw announced Sunday afternoon that all boat ramps and marinas are closed until further notice.
In an effort to protect the citizens, Sheriff @RicBradshaw & County Officials have made the decision to CLOSE All Boat Ramps and Marinas in Palm Beach County to recreational boating.
Commercial Fishing, Commercial Marine Operations, & Support Services Are Permitted to Operate. pic.twitter.com/RY1037J4sT
— PBSO (@PBCountySheriff) March 22, 2020
Read the full press release here.
————————————————————————————-
ORIGINAL STORY:
Palm Beach County officials are ordering the closure of some boat camps, in an effort to encourage the practice of social distancing to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
On Sunday, County Mayor Dave Kerner and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office ordered the city of Lake Worth Beach to close the Bryant Park Boat Ramp until further notice.
Access will continue to be provided for those who are currently on the water to return, although no other vehicles will be allowed to launch.
While Lake Boca Raton has always served as a social gathering spot for many boaters, and will again, now is not the time for parties and tie ups on the water. Please be patient, and do your part, so we can all get through this together.
1/4 pic.twitter.com/ubvgDn4UTl— City of Boca Raton (@CityBocaRaton) March 22, 2020
Meanwhile, the West Palm Beach Police Department has announced that the Currie Park Boat Ramp is closed to all but commercial fishing.
The Currie Park boat ramp is closed to all but commercial fishing. A marine unit will be at the park to prevent boaters from being turned away from Peanut Island and crowds docking in West Palm Beach. #stopthespread #CoronaPandemic #WestPalmBeach pic.twitter.com/vRspewZqOi
— West Palm Beach PD (@WestPalmPD) March 22, 2020
A marine unit will be at the park on Sunday to prevent boaters from being turned away from Peanut Island and crowds docking in West Palm Beach.
Further north, in Jupiter, boat ramps have been closed to recreational use and only commercially-licensed vessels are allowed to launch.
In addition, sandbars in the town are closed in order to prevent people from congregating in large groups and contributing to the spread of COVID-19.