Essential Steps

The voyage down from the peak of the novel coronavirus pandemic’s impact locally is not an end in itself. Even with the height of optimism, we have months to worry about a flare-up should social distancing and other aggressive measure be relaxed too swiftly. Impatience is risky in this new reality.

That is clear. But it’s also true that there are risks, and calamities, to continuing a sweeping “pause” of society and the economy, to use Governor Andrew Cuomo’s phrasing. With the worst of the crisis past, and a “flattened curve” resulting from a courageous commitment by most of the community, it’s not foolhardy to start talking about a delicate reemergence.

As state and local officials chart a safe course to restart the economy in time for summer — an absolutely essential time for East End businesses — there should be one guiding principle: Beaches must be opened, with reasonable precautions. It’s necessary, both for the region’s well-being and for citizens’ mental health.

Yes, it’s not a surprising argument for a region with an economy based on the summer beach season. But it’s also deeply rooted in the science, and in common sense.

Going to the beach on a summer day is not a risky move, and only a paralyzing fear of COVID-19 would suggest otherwise. It is a very infectious disease with a contagion that’s easily spread through droplets of mucus from sneezes and coughs. Those droplets can land on surfaces, or skin, and be transferred to the eyes, nose or mouth with every touch of the face.

But there is little evidence that the virus is, in a scientific sense, subject to airborne transmission in the purest sense. And even if it were, a 6-foot distance is the gold standard for safe interaction between people in the most favorable conditions for the virus to spread.

A beach, strictly speaking, is not favorable — at least for the coronavirus. It features all of the factors that are missing indoors: space, wind, sunlight, heat, humidity. The virus can’t survive as well in that climate, nor is transmission likely.

That’s subject to change as more becomes known about this mysterious virus. “Viruses that are involved in causing pandemics can behave differently,” noted Dr. Rajeev Fernando, the infectious diseases expert at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, who encourages continued care and vigilance. And it goes without saying that any measure is open to reconsideration if there’s new information, or if the number of new cases begins to grow again.

That said, on the East End, two things should happen. Quickly.

First, there should be a clear commitment at all levels — local, county and state — that beaches are a safe refuge for people who have been locked away for a very long time. They must be opened.

Of course, there are reasonable restrictions. Cohabitants can gather together in a spot, but otherwise there should be a general distance of 6 to 10 feet from others. Even friends and visiting family should stay on towels a short distance away. Lifeguards and, if necessary, police should keep an eye on the situation. Folks arriving late to the beach are just going to have to walk a bit to find some open sand — and there’s plenty.

Dr. Fernando — who, it must be noted, has reservations about opening beaches this summer — warns that beach balls and other toys should be left at home, and nobody should be sharing beverage containers. But with those precautions, he agrees there is less chance of spreading the virus while at the beach than while indoors. 

Should restrooms and other public facilities be closed? Perhaps so, although, again, most people now have made a routine of being careful and sanitizing after touching anything someone else might have touched. Months of social distancing have ingrained these practices; they likely won’t need much enforcement.

A second step: Consider a temporary expansion of outdoor dining, just for this year. Allow restaurants to continue offering takeout and delivery, but add an outdoor dining element, with appropriate precautions — tables at least 6 feet apart, and waitstaff masked; Dr. Fernando, who supports the notion, believes hand sanitizer is better for waiters than gloves. He also suggests fever readings of patrons before they’re seated — just an expansion of the hoops that must be jumped through to get a table in the summer at some places.

It will be a challenge in some villages to find space, and it could require some creative planning (maybe closing down street sections on a rotating basis to make room for tables?). But it is a challenge worth taking on. It might even tease at a new summer tradition.

Balance is crucial in the coming months: Continued vigilance is crucial, but so is reasonable accommodation of an outdoor community that lives and breathes in the summer. Outdoor activities, with the simplest precautions, are not high-risk — and the alternate narrative must be fought hard. The region’s economy demands it, and common sense does as well. COVID-19 should be respected, but fear cannot be the driving emotion.

During the lockdown, the word “essential” has been a guiding notion. It’s essential for everyone’s health — people and businesses alike — to try, within reason, to have a real summer in 2020.