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Get some fresh air — but watch how you do it.
In coastal southern Georgia, beachgoers laid out on towels, sat under umbrellas and splashed in the Atlantic Ocean at Tybee Island on Saturday morning. They largely respected rules requiring groups stay 6 feet apart and have no more than 10 people.
“It’s like letting the air out of a balloon right now,” Tybee Island resident Don McLemore said about visitors. “Everybody’s coming out, and they’re anxious to get out.”
Very few people were wearing masks.
“If it’s my turn to go, I’m going. If not, I’m enjoying life,” a maskless James Dixon told a CNN crew there.
In Daytona Beach, Florida, beachgoers will be asked to stay at least 10 feet apart. Though the city says masks are advised, Mayor Derrick Henry conceded Friday that it’s “not realistic or practical to ask people to go to the beach and wear a mask.”
Some states — New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware — reopened beaches Friday just in time for the holiday week. Most beaches will be open in Florida while those in hard-hit areas such as Fort Lauderdale and Miami-Dade County will remain closed.
White House coronavirus task force member Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the nation’s top infectious disease experts, told the public this week that going outside was fine, with cautious measures.
“Go out, wear a mask, stay 6 feet away from anyone so you can have the physical distancing,” he told a CNN coronavirus town hall. “Go for a run. Go for a walk. Go fishing. As long as you’re not in a crowd and you’re not in a situation where you can physically transmit the virus.”
Officers and mascots are patrolling beaches and attractions
Natural-resource officers were patrolling Georgia’s Tybee Island on Saturday. At Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, police will enforce guidelines by giving warnings or asking people to leave, Mayor Paul Kanitra said.
The park will offer free masks to guests, and it has added 100 hand sanitizer stations, CEO Mark McHugh told CNN.
“We had hand sanitizers everywhere to begin with. You can’t even turn around without running into one now,” McHugh said.
In Texas on Friday, bars joined the list of businesses allowed to reopen, though with capacity limits.
Other businesses may reopen as the weather warms up.
Navajo Nation enters another weekend lockdown
The Native American territory spans parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. During the lockdown, from Friday night to early Monday, residents are generally required to stay home, with exceptions for essential workers
“We’re doing our best to flatten the curve, so let’s think of the health and safety of others and stay home this weekend,” Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said.
The Navajo Nation, with a reported a population of 173,667 on the 2010 census, has recorded 4,529 coronavirus cases, and 149 deaths, since the pandemic began.
Federal officials accuse two groups of selling fake coronavirus vaccines and treatment
The first group, Apollo Holding, was offering “NoronaPak” products, including cannabidiol derived from the cannabis plant, according to the letters from the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission.
The second letter was issued to North Coast Biologics, which was allegedly offering a vaccine.
In March, a person involved with North Coast Biologics bragged about the purported vaccine on Facebook, the letter said. “Just vaccinated 12 people in west Seattle tonight . . . 12 more to vaccinate in Burien,” it said.
The group allegedly said it would make the vaccine available to those who are either at risk or for anyone who simply needs reassurance. It edited its social media post last month, saying it was no longer available because of a “cease and desist” letter from the Attorney General.
But the misleading claims remained online, federal officials said. Both groups did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.
CNN’s Amir Vera, Natasha Chen, Kevin Conlon, Alisha Ebrahimji, Arman Azad, Chris Isidore, Leslie Perrot and Dakin Andone contributed to this report.
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