Returning Beachgoers Left 13,000 Pounds of Trash on Florida's Cocoa Beach | 22 Words

Since the reopening of a number of Florida beaches, that has been a lot of backlash.

But this week, perhaps some of the most shocking news yet has surfaced...

The global pandemic has truly turned our world upside down...

And right now, the United States is the worst affected country in the world.

Several states have declared states of emergencies...

via: Getty

 And President Trump declared a national emergency to combat the pandemic, freeing up $50 billion in federal funding and promising a screening website and drive-by tests.

The majority of the country is now living in lockdown...

And even though the President promised for things to be back to normal by Easter, things certainly haven't turned out that way.

Things are simply getting worse...

Which has, of course, resulted in mass panic and hysteria.

The importance of self-isolation has been stressed globally...

via: Getty

 And it has been proven that locking down public areas and avoiding social situations has helped reduce the chances of spreading the already out of control virus.

But it seems that not everyone feels the need to abide by these suggestions here in the United States.

via: WFLA News Channel 8

 Scenes at the Clearwater Beach in Florida, back in March, showed a lot of people completely disregarding these global warnings.

Images from the white-sand beach showed spring breakers enjoying the sun...

via: WFLA News Channel 8

 All of which seemed to be living in complete oblivion.

Nothing seemed to be stopping the spring breakers...

via: Getty

 And even police warnings didn't faze the revelers.

Florida currently has 40,982 active cases...

via: Twitter

 And 1,735 people in the state have now died, showing exactly what happens when people congregate in mass gatherings.

This seemed to bring a reality check to officials...

via: Twitter

 Because last month, The Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce reported all sandy beaches within the city limits are to be closed at least through noon.

This took immediate effect across the entire state...

And people were prohibited from entering these beaches... even for walks.

But it seems that some things have started to change...

Beaches in Jacksonville, Florida, reopened to the public 2 weeks ago.

This was an original goal set by the Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce...

via: Twitter

 And this follows President Trump's announcement that states must decide themselves when to lift restrictions.

Things remain far from normality.

Republican Mayor Lenny Curry said per the Daily Mail that he is letting the public back onto Duval County beaches from 5 pm Friday evening for "essential activities only" after he said he was "encouraged" by the rate of infections and hospitalizations and said there was evidence to suggest they are flattening the curve.

But what exactly do these "essential activities" include?

Curry's move means residents can go for a walk, swim, surf, run or fish, as long as they adhering to social distancing guidelines. However, sunbathing, camping overnight and gatherings of more than fifty people will be banned.

Curry warned that this certainly doesn't mean things are back to normal...

"This can be the beginning of the pathway back to normal life," he said, "Please respect and follow these limitations. Stay within the guidelines for your safety as well as for the safety of your neighbors."

Naturally, many residents of Jacksonville aren't happy about this reopening...

And many have expressed their concern about other Florida residents flocking to their beaches and not abiding by the social distancing rules.

Many have blamed the government...

And they feel that this is a foolish move when we are desperately trying to repair our country.

Others pointed out that Florida is, indeed, a hotspot for active virus cases...

Which makes it even more baffling that some of its beaches will soon be reopened.

Cocoa Beach in Florida re-opened on April 21st...

And, less than a month after, some shocking news has surfaced.

Over thirteen-thousand pounds of trash was picked up at the beach last weekend alone.

As a result, officials are now cracking down on littering.

Littering in Cocoa Beach can now come with a hefty fine.

via: Getty Images

 $250, to be precise.

Cocoa Beach Police Department issued a statement about the issue.

"As restrictions are becoming more relaxed during this pandemic, the City of Cocoa Beach is beginning to see an influx of day-trippers to our beaches, along with piles of unlawfully discarded trash in their wake. "This will not be tolerated."

According to Cocoa Beach police, officers must witness a littering offense first hand to issue a fine.

“Our community works very hard to be stewards of environmental sustainability. If I need to reallocate critical resources during our peak season to combat litterers, we are no longer asking our visitors to comply with our litter laws, we expect it, and there will be consequences for offenders," said Chief Scott Rosenfeld in a statement.

It's truly shocking that so many people find it acceptable to litter like this.

On a more positive note, scroll on to watch the heartwarming moment people across NYC lovingly belt out "New York New York" from their windows...