Ocean City beaches, Boardwalk to remain closed until May 15 amid coronavirus concerns

Ocean City beaches, Boardwalk to remain closed until May 15

The beaches and the world-famous Boardwalk of Maryland's most popular coastal resort town will remain closed until May 15 amid coronavirus concerns.

OCEAN CITY, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - The beaches and the world-famous Boardwalk of Maryland's most popular coastal resort town will remain closed until May 15 amid coronavirus concerns.

Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan amended two orders on Monday to mirror the state's recovery plan. The first order keeps beaches, the Boardwalk and the Inlet parking lot closed until May 15. The second extends restrictions on short term rentals through May 22.

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A postal worker delivers mail to the shops at the boardwalk during the coronavirus pandemic on April 8, 2020 in Ocean City, Md. (Photo by Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

May 22 is the Friday before Memorial Day. The holiday weekend is traditionally viewed as the unofficial beginning of the summer season.

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"Governor Hogan's Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery laid out a path to gradually and responsibly reopen the economy, while also protecting the health and safety of our residents," Meehan said in a statement. "The plan intends to move rapidly, but not recklessly. It is important that Ocean City mirror these actions to help avoid any set back in the progress we have made in our community and across the State."

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Over a dozen town events have been canceled or postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. "Our entire community continues to make sacrifices during this health crisis, but this has been especially difficult for our non-resident property owners who are anxious to visit their beach homes," Meehan's statement continued. "Although it has not been easy, we believe these restrictions have been successfully slowing the spread of the virus. If we all continue to work together over the next few weeks, hopefully we will be welcoming everyone back sooner rather than later."