Some area residents sneaked off to New Jersey shore towns this past weekend, as popular destinations such as Ocean City, Seaside Heights, Point Pleasant Beach and others began to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in a trial run for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.

I used the word “sneaked,” because anyone from the five-county Times News area who did this was in violation of Pennsylvania’s stay-at-home orders. Come this Friday, Carbon County residents, if they choose to do so, can legally head for the shore since Carbon is one of 12 counties whose designation changes from “red” to “yellow.” The other four - Schuylkill, Monroe, Northampton and Lehigh - remain as “red” designated counties until at least June 4, unless Gov. Tom Wolf removes restrictions earlier.

I have been calling and culling reports on how well visitors to reopened beach towns have observed social distancing, wore facial coverings and took other safety precautions. There were quite a few who did, but there were also quite a few who did not, especially in communities with boardwalks.

One epidemiologist called it quarantine fatigue. Belmar Mayor Mark Walsifer said it’s like “trying to hold the ocean back.” Point Pleasant Mayor Paul Kanitra echoed the sentiments of other shore town mayors when he stated the obvious, “There is no playbook for this.”

Some shore communities, which feel that Gov. Phil Murphy is not opening the state as quickly as they would like, received a strong rebuke from Murphy as he reminded them that municipalities and counties can’t enact or enforce rules that conflict with the state’s orders.

Murphy allowed limited access to some beaches starting last Friday. Visitors were allowed to walk, run, fish and surf, but swimming and sitting on chairs and blankets on the sand was still on the “forbidden” list for some beaches. Despite this, we saw plenty of images of sunbathers defying these restrictions.

Wildwood, North Wildwood and Atlantic City boardwalks are open as well as sunbathing visitors on their beaches. Wildwood Crest is open for exercise and some sports but not on beaches.

Many beaches are open only for exercise, including Avalon, Cape May City, Long Beach Island, Margate, Ocean City, Sea Isle City, Stone Harbor, Strathmere and Ventnor. There also are restrictions on the number of people who can be on a beach at one time, so going there does not necessarily mean that you will be able to get onto the beach.

On Monday, Murphy announced that restaurants, personal care services, expanded child care, museums, libraries and retail will be among the next wave of businesses and locations to reopen at a limited capacity “in a matter of weeks,” but officials did not provide exact dates.

At Seaside Heights during the weekend, officials declared that things went well. The shore community has been trying to live down the image it inherited from the controversial “Jersey Shore” TV series on MTV a decade ago featuring Snooki and her group of motley friends. A local media outlet said during the weekend there were a lot of families with children rather than a flood of Snooki wannabes.

Quite frankly, I would find venturing off to a reopened Jersey shore town on a major holiday weekend with all of that pent-up cabin fever demand to be inadvisable.

Our area health experts tell us that data are looking better but not even close to desired numbers. Traveling to another state with the prospect for community spread from those not inclined to follow safety restrictions is a gamble that could have dire consequences not only for yourself but for family members, friends and innocent community residents with whom you come in contact.

Meanwhile, Delaware will lift restrictions on the state’s beaches, including the likes of Rehoboth Beach and Bradley Beach, at 5 p.m. Friday. Beachgoers must follow social distancing guidelines, and face coverings will be required on boardwalks. Masks are also encouraged on the beach, according to Gov. John Carney.

You must remember that going to the beach involves more than just the trip itself. You will have plenty of other risks for infection at parking areas, washrooms, food stands, gas stations (even though in New Jersey an attendant pumps gas for you), and the crunch of crowds, some of whom won’t give a fig about social distancing or wearing masks.

Is it worth the risk?

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com