In May, I recorded an episode of WHYY’s The Why with host Annette John-Hall, about the increasing pressure that Jersey Shore towns were putting on the state to reopen, despite concerns from health officials. Economically speaking, few places in the United States are more vulnerable than the dozens of municipalities located on New Jersey’s Atlantic barrier islands, which rely on a fifteen-week tourism season—between Memorial Day and Labor Day—to make the bulk of their revenues.
As someone who grew up on New Jersey’s coastline, I empathized with the small business owners who were desperate to reopen, but, like most Americans, I was worried about our unknown future under the shadow of COVID-19.
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