In response to an unusually large number of visitors at East Hampton Town beaches and outdoor recreation areas during the Coronavirus pandemic, East Hampton Town has decided to enact summer beach parking restrictions nearly a month early. Typically parking permits are required from May 15th through September 15th.
“Even now, early in the season, the town is seeing an influx of people visiting our outdoor beaches and parklands. It remains critical, however, to stay at home as much as possible and to practice social distancing, in order to suppress the spread of Coronavirus,” said East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc.
The Town will enforce the parking limits starting on Friday, April 24 to prevent overcrowding at Town bay, ocean beaches, and parks, and as a means to comply with safeguards put into place to help flatten the curve. Resident-only and permit-only parking restrictions will be strictly enforced.
The sale of non-resident parking, beach driving, and launch ramp permits was suspended on Wednesday, April 22. Permits that have already been issued will remain valid until their expiration dates, at which point they will not be extended.
“We are not encouraging visitors to East Hampton at this time, and will be enacting parking or other regulations as needed,” Supervisor Van Scoyoc added.
As of April 22 there were 28,751 confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Suffolk County, with 286 in Southold, 321 in Riverhead, 7 in Shelter Island, 495 in Southampton, and 132 in East Hampton (Town breakdown does not include cases with unknown addresses). There have been 71,268 COVID-19 tests conducted, with a 40.5 percent positive rate.
For more information, visit ehamptonny.gov.