This archive report was first published on 24 June 2020.
On June 24, 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that New York City's beaches would be open for swimming on July 1, ahead of Independence Day weekend.
This decision comes after the city partially reopened its beaches for Memorial Day weekend celebrations last month, with various restrictions in place.
According to Mayor de Blasio, the city's beaches will be open for swimming, but he emphasized the importance of following social distancing rules and covering faces at the beach to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The city has reported a total of 217,742 coronavirus cases as of yesterday, with 22,343 deaths.
As the country grapples with both public health concerns and social tension, the decision to open beaches ahead of Independence Day weekend is seen as a significant move.
