Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

SMITHFIELD

While Gov. Ralph Northam has given the OK for Virginia Beach to reopen its shores to swimmers and sunbathers this weekend, with restrictions, all other beaches in the state — to include Tyler’s Beach and Morgart’s Beach in Isle of Wight County — remain closed until further notice. That is, except for exercise or fishing.

“Staff and law enforcement will continue to monitor beaches in Isle of Wight County as they have for the last couple of months,” said Assistant County Administrator Don Robertson. “We have very limited public beach frontage in our county and we have not developed a specific plan yet for beaches to reopen.”

Virginia’s state parks have also planned a gradual reopening of some facilities according to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s website. However, the beach at Chippokes Plantation in Surry County, which is a state park, remains closed per Northam’s Executive Order No. 55. The DCR website states that Chippokes’ swimming pool and Farm and Forestry Museum also remain closed due to the current COVID-19 restrictions.