Beach Time: Thousands visit SPI after state restrictions lifted

Life’s a beach
A line of attendees on South Padre Island can be seen in this screenshot taken by a beach visitor this past weekend. (Courtesy photo)

By GAIGE DAVILA
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND—Thousands of cars drove to South Padre Island last weekend after Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order allowing some businesses to re-open at 25 percent capacity, starting Friday, May 1.

On Friday, May 1, 8,977 cars drove to the Island; on Saturday, May 2, 10,866; and on Sunday, May 3, 7,833, according to data provided to the PRESS from South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Ed Caum.

“It is hard to say exactly how many people that equates to,” Caum said. “But the travel industry often uses 2.5 people per car as a baseline.”

By that measure, nearly 70,000 or more people traveled to South Padre Island over the weekend. Caum said most hotels and businesses on the Island were open and were following the State’s guidelines regarding the 25 percent occupancy rule.

Abbott’s order, announced during an April 27 press conference at the Texas Capitol, allowed retail stores, malls, restaurants, and movie theaters to reopen at 25 percent capacity.

“It was exciting to see so many of our Island businesses being able to start putting some of their employees back to work,” South Padre Island mayor Patrick McNulty told the PRESS. “Getting some of our Island businesses back on line even at a 25 percent capacity has afforded many of our residents and neighbors the opportunity to provide for their families.”

But the resurgence of visitors to South Padre Island, which, as of now, has no confirmed cases of COVID-19, was not without concern.

Port Isabel and South Padre Island residents took to Facebook and social media to post photos of traffic and persons in close contact, fearing more people will contract the novel coronavirus. Photos and videos taken over the weekend inside South Padre Island businesses shown to the PRESS show people in close contact, but it is unclear where the videos and photos were filmed exactly.

Residents’ concerns here are valid, as Cameron County continues confirming COVID-19 cases daily. During a May 6 press conference, Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr. said the county is seeing an average of 11 cases a day.

“The first weekend that we opened up the beaches, I was pleasantly surprised to see that everyone was adhering to the rules,” Treviño said. “However this past weekend, maybe it was just the cabin fever or what have you, but it was literally spring break at the Island, and people were not, for the most part, utilizing social distancing and many of them did not have facial coverings.”

He continued, “If there’s a belief that this virus has left or vacated our county, that’s a wrong idea to have, and everyone would be sorely mistaken to believe that.”

Editor’s note: This article has been edited for length. To read the full story, click here or make sure to grab a copy of the May 8–14, 2020 issue of the NEWS.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2020/05/07/beach-time-thousands-visit-spi-after-state-restrictions-lifted/

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