Going to the Outer Banks? Get ready for the ‘Summer of Glove’ during pandemic
A “Summer of Glove” is planned to help stop the spread of the coronavirus on the Outer Banks.
When travel restrictions are lifted, people vacationing and living on the barrier islands are encouraged to practice good hygiene and follow health guidelines, according to the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau website.
“It’s gonna be... it’s gonna be downright weird, probably,” executive director Lee Nettles told WTKR. “We’re gonna have a vacation destination with a lot of people walking around with masks on and practicing social distancing.”
Along the North Carolina coast, Currituck and Dare counties issued visitor bans in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Those areas, which include parts of the Outer Banks, are starting to reopen to non-resident property owners, though dates for welcoming back visitors haven’t been announced online, The News & Observer reported.
To prepare for tourists, officials are drawing inspiration from the past, The Outer Banks Voice reported.
The “OBX Summer of Glove” is a nod to 1967’s Summer of Love, when tens of thousands of hippies and other people gathered in the Haight-Ashbury area of San Francisco.
For its logo, the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau mixes psychedelic colors with a symbol of modern times: two surgical gloves forming the shape of a heart.
“Coronavirus doesn’t take a vacation, but with your help, we can all learn to have fun safely,” the bureau said.
The Outer Banks Visitors Bureau website also lists businesses it says have taken a pledge to help curb the spread of the disease. The bureau couldn’t be reached for additional comment on Monday morning.
