SAN ANTONIO – Updated July 17:
Padre Island National Seashore will close vehicular access to North and South beaches until 6 a.m. Aug. 1.
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Pedestrian access is still allowed on Malaquite Beach and the boat ramp at Bird Island is open.
Original story:
Nueces County officials implemented a ban on vehicles and golf carts at beaches throughout July just days after telling tourists to stay home.
Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales on Wednesday issued a new order that limits access and adds curfews at beaches within the county, which encompasses Port Aransas, Padre Island and Corpus Christi.
Until 6 a.m. Aug. 1, unless extended or rescinded, vehicle access points will be closed at county beaches and parks, the order states.
Golf carts and all-terrain vehicles will also not be allowed during that time. Pedestrian access at beaches and parks, however, is still allowed.
Some parks, city pools and splash pads will also be closed.
The beaches will be under curfew from 8:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily.
‘We need some help:’ Corpus Christi official asks tourists not to visit beaches amid COVID-19 surge
People with physical disabilities or disabled veterans will be allowed to use golf carts on beaches.
Earlier this week, Canales issued a request for tourists to stay home as the county grapples with growing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
Canales made the plea to out-of-towners Monday during an interview with the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.
“For the next few weeks… the coast is just not clear to come home to right now. Please do everything you can to help us stabilize. We are not stable — we are in a free fall — and we need some help from Texas,” Canales told the newspaper.
Corpus Christi has recorded 70 COVID-19 deaths and 7,532 total cases. A total of 923 people have recovered from the virus, according to the city’s website.