L.B. officials looking to open beaches after Cuomo announces plans to open state beaches the Friday before Memorial Day Weekend

The City of Long Beach said Friday it is "diligently preparing" to open its beaches, only moments after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced state beaches will be opened May 22, the Friday before Memorial Day Weekend.

The governor's announcement about the state beaches took many by surprise. He had been widely expected to contain his remarks at his daily press briefing only to the re-opening of parts of upstate New York, He

also announced Long Island and New York City's closings would be extended.

Long Beach officials said in an announcement that the city "firmly believes" its plan to open the beaches "will comply with the governor's directive." Cuomo's directive demands social distancing be maintained and that capacity at beaches be lowered. The governor also said playgrounds will remain closed, group activities will not be permitted, masks will be required and beach concessions will be closed.

John McNally, executive assistant to the Long Beach City Manager, said city officials are currently in discussions about the hiring of lifeguards and ticket-takers.

"We will have to constantly monitor the beach," he said in a phone interview. He said if one beach became crowded, the city would close it off and ask people to go to another beach nearby.

The city closed the boardwalk in late March after people continued to gather there despite warnings about the need for social distancing. The boardwalk would, of course, have to open with the beaches.

McNally said he did not know when the city's beaches would reopen. "We're working through it as diligently as we can," he said.

Ian Danby, chairman of Long Beach's Chamber of Commerce, said it will be a major undertaking to keep capacity at beaches down. Many people,. he noted, walk to the beaches, whereas at JonesBeach, there are multiple parking lots, which could be shut down if capacity rises above acceptable levels.

"It will be an arduous task to count people on the beach," Danby said. Still, he said, opening the beaches

is the right thing to do.

"I told the city people on a call the other day they needed to open the boardwalk," Danby said. "We have a mental health problem in this country" because of the pandemic and the closures. "Opening the boardwalk would give people a little relief." He said city officials were receptive to the idea.