Staycationers, visitors must continue following safety guidelines at the beach, tourism officials say

Beaches were busy Monday afternoon up and down the Pinellas County coastline.  There were no big parties that law enforcement had to break up, and on Clearwater Beach, people stayed in their own groups. 

Visitors told us the Labor Day holiday acted not only as a break from work, but also a mental break from the pandemic.

RELATED: Labor Day weekend is off to slow start, leaving room for social distancing 

County leaders are worried people may get too relaxed. After every holiday weekend, Pinellas has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases.  

The county’s indoor mask mandate was heavily enforced.  

“We are going to keep it up as long as it takes because this industry is very important to visit us and feel safe,” said Pat Gerard, who is the chair of the Pinellas County Board of Commissioners.  

Visit St. Pete-Clearwater rolled out a $2-million marketing campaign to remind people to take precautions, while letting people know the region is open for tourism.  

LINK: Learn more about the Rise to Shine campaign here.