A busy beach weekend in R.I.

SOUTH KINGSTOWN — Hundreds of beachgoers were sunning themselves at East Matunuck State Beach on Sunday, but Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management spokesman Michael Healey said Saturday was a much busier day at all of the state’s beaches.

“The first day of summer, by far the best beach day of the year,” he said of Saturday. “They got full early and stayed full all day long.”

About 25,000 people attended state beaches on Saturday.

On Sunday, by contrast, most beaches still had parking spots available at around 2 p.m. Around 15,000 to 20,000 people attended state beaches on Sunday, according to Healey.

“I think that’s probably related to Father’s Day,” he said. “People having late breakfasts or brunches or barbecues with their dads and maybe not heading down to the beach.”

Around noon at East Matunuck, there were about 800-1,000 people on the beach, according to Jimmy McLaughlin, a lifeguard on duty, but he said that groups of people appeared to be keeping six feet away from other groups. People who arrive at the beach together in a group can sit close to one another, he said.

Karen Cabral, of Warwick, who was sitting on the beach with her brother, Ron Cabral, of Coventry, said she felt safe there.

“I feel like we’re six feet away from other people, maybe not their blankets but the actual person,” she said. “I feel safer outside than inside.”

The Cabrals said they feel anxious about the virus sometimes, but both have had to continue working — Karen as a substance abuse counselor and Ron as a custodian at Brown University — so they’ve grown accustomed to living with the pandemic.

“I’m pretty used to taking precautions and washing my hands and wearing the mask and socially distancing,” she said.

At a glance, the scene at East Matunuck Beach could have been that of a normal, pre-pandemic summer day. Almost no one wore a mask while lounging on the sand Sunday, though many people said they brought one along to wear when going to common areas, like the concession stand.

For Rosalind Lombardo, of Cromwell, Connecticut, the virus was never far from her mind.

“You can’t really relax,” she said. “You don’t feel totally normal.”

Healey said mask-wearing is not required when individuals and groups can stay at least six feet away from others.

But, he said, people do need to wear their masks while in areas such as concessions and the restrooms. Many beachgoers did not comply with that policy on Saturday.

“Most people who were on the pavilions, when they go up to get a Del’s lemonade, when they go pick up their chicken fingers at the snack bar, when they go to the restrooms, they’re not wearing their face coverings,” he said. “We need people to wear their masks. It’s really the best way to limit the spread of Covid.”