Whiting Mayor Joe Stahura announced Monday that Indiana's Whihala Beach will close Wednesday due to coronavirus concerns.
Stahura said the city is taking action due to the "unusually large crowds far exceeding" normal attendance this summer. This issue, along with reduced beach area due to high Lake Michigan water levels, contributed to the beach's closing.
“We’ve witnessed an alarming disregard of all COVID-19 protocol and park supervision in recent weeks, Stahura said. "We no longer feel confident that we can provide a reasonably safe health environment for our patrons."
Both the beach and the Whiting Lakefront Park will be closed until further notice. However, all bike and walking trails will remain open for pedestrian use.
With Chicago's summer heat in full force, the city's beaches and pools also remain closed and there's no sign they'll be reopening any time soon.
Though other states opened beaches and pools recently, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot explained that "they are ripe for congregate gathering and not social distancing."
"Given where we are, which is progress, but we have some concerns," Lightfoot said. "We're not going to take any steps that could really tip us over or tip us backwards."
