BREAKING: Governor John Carney closes Delaware beaches to slow spread of Coronavirus

DELAWARE – Governor John Carney took additional steps on Saturday to slow the spread of the Coronavirus, including closing the Delaware beaches, effective at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.

In a release, officials said the public is prohibited from going to the beach, other than for exercise or to walk dogs where dogs are prohibited. Any local officials are able to enforce tighter restrictions. The restrictions will last until May 15, or “until the public health threat of COVID-19 has been eliminated,” according to a release from the Governor’s office.

In the release, Governor Carney said, “We saw too many people on the beaches [Friday] and we weren’t seeing the kind of social distancing that we need in order to slow the spread of coronavirus.”

There have been 40 confirmed cases of the virus in Delaware since March 11, according to officials.