In regard to the status of Georgia’s beaches, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Administrative Order signed by DNR Commissioner Mark Williams on April 29, 2020, will expire at 11:59 p.m. on May 6, 2020. The order in a similar or current fashion has been in place since April 3. The department’s safety restrictions were established and implemented in concordance with the Governor’s office as a necessary step to protect the public and a way to help people stay in compliance with the COVID-19 response directives. Even as the administrative order expires and the beach usage restrictions along with it, DNR is continuing to ramp up game warden patrols to comprehensively monitor our beaches for compliance.

As we navigate this difficult time, should someone voluntarily leave their shelter, DNR is requiring that everyone on the beaches follow the social distancing directives of maintaining six feet distance from others and the prohibiting of gatherings of more than ten persons. The public is encouraged to report any observed noncompliance by alerting DNR game wardens, calling the DNR Ranger Hotline at 1-800-241-4113, or emailing rangerhotline@dnr.ga.gov.