PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Pinellas County leaders said Tuesday that without additional data and testing, it’s still too soon to discuss reopening public beaches.

The county commissioners did, however, vote to extend the local state of emergency through May 1, one day past the expiration of the statewide stay at home order.

Commissioners said it would be unwise to reopen beaches until further data to reinforce that Pinellas is flattening the COVID-19 curve and cases are no longer on the rise. They would also like to see more widespread testing.

Commissioner Kathleen Peters floated the idea of at least reopening condo and apartment pools, but was ultimately shot down by the others.

“I think we need to give people hope,” Peters explained. “They need to know they’re going to get their rights back. The more we wait, the more anxious they’re going to get.”

According to Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, defiance against deputies is mounting as people grow restless to get back on the beach.

“It’s rough out there,” Gualtieri said. “I was out there myself, people were flat out saying no.”

Staying off the beach is just unnatural for Florida native Eitan Pearl. 8 On Your Side found him enjoying the sun and sand at Indian Rocks Beach.

“If the sun if out, we’re on the beach, plain and simple,” he said. “People want out. People are running out of Netflix.”

Pearl was at a distance, but he wasn’t alone as a couple dozen others joined him on the beach Tuesday afternoon.

If beaches do open sooner rather than later, he just hopes a few people don’t ruin it for the rest of them.

“If you open the flood gates, who’s to say everyone is going to abide by the CDC guidelines?” he asked.

Pinellas County commissioners virtually meet again next Tuesday but it’s unclear if they’ll bring the beach debate back up.

Sarasota’s county commissioners are set to discuss the fate of its beaches on Wednesday.

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