DEWEY BEACH, Del.- Businesses in Dewey Beach say they've seen sales down by 40 to 50 percent. Both businesses and town officials say confusion over COVID-19 restrictions have kept visitors away.
"It's kind of remarkable to see the streets kind of empty and the town kind of empty at nighttime," says Executive Director of the Dewey Business Partnership Kelly Ranieri. The town adopted a mask mandate on Friday. People must wear face masks in all public settings where they can't be at least six feet away from people outside of their families. That includes the beach. Violations will result in a $50 fine. Ranieri says confusion over where to wear masks and mixed messages about other COVID-19 restrictions have steered people from town." "People are assuming that bars are closed at the beaches and that's just not necessarily true," Ranieri says. "If you would like a cocktail, you can sit at tables." General Manager Drew DiFonzo says people flocked to the Hyatt Place when Gov. John Carney lifted the traveler quarantine and short-term rental ban in June, but in July it went backwards. He says rooms normally sell out every night from Memorial Day to Labor Day. "Last week, a week in the middle of July when all the hotels in the area would normally sell out, the market ran at a 55% occupancy," DiFonzo says. Mayor Dale Cooke says the face mask ordinance has the public's best interest at heart. He also wants to reassure potential visitors that they would be safe in Dewey Beach. "We're as safe or more safe than any town in the eastern seaboard," says Cooke. "If we enforce the governor's order without having our own ordinance, it becomes a criminal offense. Somebody has to get locked up to enforce it. This way we can enforce it with just a civil offense." The town also voted to allow outdoor dining through March 31st, 2021 or until the end of the state of emergency. "I see a lot more people that I've never seen," says Mama Maria bartender Nicolas Allenbaugh. Mama Maria and other restaurants in Dewey Beach say more customers are coming in to eat outside despite the pandemic. "(It) will be a welcome edition to the winter,' Allenbaugh says. "We'll probably get some heaters out here, some space heaters, do it up nicely so people are comfortable."
DiFonzo says more people have started to book rooms at the Hyatt Place since other governors removed Delaware from their traveler quarantine lists on Tuesday.
