Coronavirus: Memorial Day weekend draws crowds at US parks and beaches

US officials warned failure to observe social distancing rules risked resurgence of virus

Visitors crowd the beach during the Memorial Day holiday weekend in Newport Beach, California, USA. EPA

US beaches were crowded over Memorial Day weekend, prompting authorities to warn on Sunday that ingnoring social-distancing rules risked a resurgence of the coronavirus that has killed almost 100,000 in the country.

Sheriff’s deputies and beach patrols tried to ensure people kept their distance on the sand, at parks and in other recreation sites around the country.

In the Tampa area along Florida’s Gulf Coast, the crowds were so big that authorities took the extraordinary step of closing car parks because they were full.

Meanwhile, the White House broadened its travel ban against countries hard hit by the virus, saying it would deny admission to foreigners who were recently in Brazil.

Dr Deborah Birx, co-ordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, said she was “very concerned” about people crowding together at the weekend.

"We really want to be clear all the time that social distancing is absolutely critical," Dr Birx told ABC's This Week.

"And if you can’t social distance and you’re outside, you must wear a mask."

In Missouri, people packed bars and restaurants at the Lake of the Ozarks, a vacation spot popular with those from Chicago, at the weekend.

A video showed a crammed pool where vacationers lounged close together without masks, KMOV-TV in St Louis reported.

Visitors crowd the beach during the Memorial Day holiday weekend as Southern California sees a relaxing of restrictions that were in place to due to the coronavirus pandemic, in Newport Beach, California, USA. EPA

In Daytona Beach, Florida, gunfire erupted on Saturday night along a beachside road where more than 200 people partied and danced despite the restrictions.

Several people were wounded and taken to the hospital, authorities said.

“Disney is closed, Universal is closed,” Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said on Sunday.

"Everything is closed so where did everybody come with the first warm day with 50 per cent opening? Everybody came to the [Daytona] beach."

On Georgia’s Tybee Island, the beach was filled with families, bicyclists, beach chairs, games, swimmers and more.

On a main drag, people lined the sidewalk at a chain bar that sells frozen cocktails. Most stood close together and none wore masks.

But at a nearby grocery shop, staff members handed customers gloves and a number to keep track of how many people were inside at a time. Shoppers had their own masks.

Officials in California said most people were covering their faces and kept their distance as they went to beaches and parks.

Many Southern California beaches were open only for swimming, running and other activities.

At New York’s Orchard Beach in the Bronx, kids played with toys and people sat in folding chairs.

Some wore winter coats on a cool and breezy day, and many wore masks and sat apart from others.

“Good to be outside. Fresh air. Just good to enjoy the outdoors,” said Danovan Clacken, whose face was covered.

The US is on track to pass 100,000 coronavirus deaths in the next day or two, while Europe has lost 169,000 people, a tally by Johns Hopkins University says.

Worldwide, more than 5.5 million people have been infected and nearly 350,000 have died.

The New York Times  marked the horror by devoting Sunday's entire front page to a long list of names of those who have died in the US.

It ran with the headline: “An Incalculable Loss.”