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Vehicle beach closures not stopping beachgoers from enjoying the waves

Posted at 5:17 PM, Jul 03, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-03 19:28:25-04

Tourists from across the Lone Star State visited beaches on North Padre Island on Friday despite having to park and walk to the beach.

Nueces Co. Judge Barbara Canales announced Tuesday all county beaches would close to vehicles to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the county and avoid an outbreak similar to the one seen Memorial Day Weekend.

"We heard all of the beaches were gonna be closed and the roads as well, we didn't think it was gonna be as packed," said Lito Galvin, who was visiting from Dallas. "And as you can see it's not as packed."

Visitors at Whitecap Beach parking on nearby roadways and making their way toward the beach didn't seem bothered by the change. Most of the people on the beach celebrating the extended holiday weekend said the order made them feel safer, while others said it really didn't make a difference.

"It's a good idea, actually," said Edgar Villafane, who was visiting from Houston. "Not everyone is willing to park and walk over here, so I think it's actually a good idea."

"It might have limited it a little bit, but a lot of people are just parking and walking," said Julissa Roman, who was visiting from Austin. "If you're really bored, you'll do whatever you want."

Roman said she and her friends had already decided to leave as soon as the beaches started to get crowded.

"An hour or two ago it wasn't as packed as it is now, but now that it's later in the day, it's starting to get packed," she said.