Some Emerald Coast Area Beaches to Open May 1

UPDATE**** Walton County beaches will reopen on May 1 as well. This includes Miramar Beach, Sandestin, Seaside, and Rosemary Beach.

If you were anxiously awaiting the beaches to reopen along the Emerald Coast in the Florida panhandle, you can breathe a tiny sigh of relief. Commissioners in Okaloosa County, Florida voted unanimously last night to reopen the beaches in their jurisdiction on a limited basis starting on Friday, May 1. The beaches will open for all activities from 6:30 am - 9:00 am, and 4:30 pm - 7:00 pm daily. Okaloosa County includes the cities of Ft. Walton Beach and Crestview. Commissioners say they will reassess the beach hours if there is an uptick in COVID-19 cases.

However, according to the Destin Log the Destin City Council will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, April 29th to consider reopening the beaches within Destin. Walton County, which is home to Miramar Beach, will also wait until next week to make a decision on the beaches.

Jacksonville beaches opened up last Friday at 5:00 pm, and within an hour were already packed. Check out the news story about Okaloosa beaches from WEAR in Pensacola below.