Coronavirus: Seaweed used to maintain social distancing on reopened Florida beaches

CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla. – Beaches in west-central Florida officially opened Monday at 7 a.m., and some sunbathers made sure to maintain social distancing, a fact of life during the coronavirus pandemic.

Several beachgoers figured out an easy way to put up that wall. Florida beaches have plenty of seaweed, so why not create a seawall?

At Clearwater Beach, several people at the beach grabbed seaweed from the shoreline and used it to create an aquatic “no trespassing” sign around their chairs in the sand, WFLA-TV reported.

It seemed to work as people kept their distance.

Pinellas County deputies will be patrolling the beaches to ensure people do not congregate in groups of 10 or more while remaining 6 feet apart from other groups, the television station reported.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said violators will be asked to leave the beach, WFLA reported.