'Take some personal responsibility': Beach safety officials remind crowds to be safe this holiday weekend
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - People flocked to Daytona Beach Friday to kick off the Fourth of July weekend.
Volusia County Beach Safety officials expect 150,000 people at their beaches every day this weekend.
They're expecting crowds from South Florida, as beaches in Miami-Dade County, Broward and Palm Beach have closed for the holiday weekend.
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"I would imagine we're going to see some larger crowds and some closures in some other counties. Everybody is going to want to come to the beach because we're almost the only game in town," said Capt. Mike Berard, with Volusia County Beach Safety.
There are signs reminding people to social distance and stay 10 feet apart at Volusia County beaches.
The county also put up blue parking poles to try to keep cars at a distance.
Health officials say they saw a spike in COVID-19 cases in Florida after Memorial Day weekend.
Officials are asking people to do their part to stop the spread.
"I would like to encourage people to come down here, take some personal responsibility, wear your mask when appropriate, stay away from others," Capt. Berard said. "Just have a fun, enjoyable weekend."
Daytona Beach police will have extra staff on hand for the Fourth of July weekend.
On Memorial Day, there were huge crowds in the streets of Daytona Beach.
One massive group blocked a street to shoot a music video without a permit and threw money at the crowd.
Police say they don't have any intel on any big events happening on July 4, but Daytona Beach officers are prepared.
Volusia County Beach Safety says it's also ready to control crowds and contact law enforcement if needed.
"We had some anomalies over Memorial Day Weekend with some flash mob-type crowds," Capt. Berard said. "We would manage the crowds just like we would if it was something not permitted. Obviously, we would try to shut that down. Music videos all need to be permitted through the county."