Benches removed in Rehoboth Beach last month to help slow the spread of COVID-19 are coming back for the Memorial Day weekend:
A total of 300 benches were removed from Rehoboth Avenue and the resorts’ Boardwalk on April 27, 2020 to keep people from congregating on them during the pandemic.
Staff with the City’s Streets Department began putting some of them back this week.
“This will be quite helpful for visitors as we come into this holiday weekend. We will continue to monitor when it’s appropriate to place more benches city-wide according to the City’s reopening plan,” said Rehoboth Beach communications director Krys Johnson.
She says most of the benches being put back now are along Rehoboth Avenue and not the Boardwalk. And she says they will be cleaned.
“In accordance with the direction we have received from the Governor’s Reopening the Beaches Delaware Plan," said Johnson. "And that means cleaning our benches multiple times per day.”
Johnson adds seasonal police, lifeguards and parking enforcement staff will all act as “beach ambassadors” to convey to people sitting on the benches that they must social distance.
Johnson says the city’s top priority is the health and safety of residents and visitors; so everyone is required to wear a face covering on the boardwalk and police will enforce that and face coverings are suggested on the beach as well.
