More than 25,270 people in Florida have tested positive for the virus so far.

Sam Greenwood / Getty Images People running at Jacksonville Beach, April 17.

As lawmakers across the country discuss lifting restrictions over the coronavirus, Florida beaches began to reopen on Friday, even while the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the state surpassed 25,000. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that beaches were permitted to reopen Friday afternoon if they could do so safely; by early evening, some beaches in north Florida had removed police barriers, allowing residents to stroll and surf. Social distancing orders remain in place, and Jacksonville beaches, which were among the first to reopen, operated on restricted hours from 6–11 a.m. and 5–8 p.m. Officials said that activities should be limited to exercise and pet care; sunbathing and lounging were still prohibited. "No chairs, coolers, sunbathing, or towels/blankets laid out to sit on," read a tweet from the city of Jacksonville's official account.

📢 Reminder 📢 When Duval County beaches & parks open today from 5pm to 8pm it is for exercise only - No chairs, coolers, sunbathing, or towels/blankets laid out to sit on. Thank you for continuing to practice social distancing, for more information: https://t.co/TmkOmWZOqk

Sam Greenwood / Getty Images A surfer at Jacksonville Beach.

The decision to reopen some beaches came on the same day that Florida saw 1,400 new cases of the virus — the biggest single-day increase in the number of new infections since the crisis began — according to the Tampa Bay Times. Florida surpassed 25,270 total cases of the virus as of Saturday morning, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. In the state, 741 people have died from the virus, and 162 of those deaths came from long-term care facilities. COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has ravaged nursing homes around the country. As the threat of lawsuits looms, assisted living facilities in Florida have asked DeSantis to block legal action against them — a request that BuzzFeed News reported the governor is taking into consideration.

Sam Greenwood / Getty Images A crowd of people at the beach in Jacksonville.

On Friday evening, despite the limitations on activities, photos showed large crowds gathering at the beach, many of them not wearing protective gear.

While some locals have eagerly returned to the beaches, the decision to reopen public spaces has also caused alarm. One Jacksonville resident told a local news outlet that the decision to reopen scared her.



Sam Greenwood / Getty Images Beachgoers in Jacksonville, Florida.