Florida lawyer to wear Grim Reaper costume to stop people visiting beaches – The-Latest News

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April 23, 2020 | 11:17pm Many of you have asked if I am willing to travel around Florida wearing Grim Reaper attire to the beaches and other areas of the state opening up prematurely. The answer is absolutely yes. Beginning May 1 we will hit the road here in state. Please retweet and spread the

|people visiting beaches [ 19459000 ] to Prevent |people visiting with beaches [ 19459000 ] to Prevent |Grim Reaper costume to Prevent people visiting with beaches [ 19459000 ] }

April 23, 2020 | 11: 17pm

Many of you have asked if I am ready to travel to the beaches and other areas of the state opening up around Florida wearing Grim Reaper apparel. The answer is absolutely yes. We will hit the road here in state. Please retweet and spread the word. pic.twitter.com/UO7QKg161n Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) April 22, 2020

A lawyer in Florida said he will see beaches which openprematurely while dressed as the Grim Reaper starting in May.Many of you have asked if I am willing to travel about Florida wearing Grim Reaper apparel to the beaches and other regions of the country opening up prematurely. The answer is absolutely yes, lawyer Daniel Uhlfelder tweeted.Uhlfelders costumed tour comes as a response to information that the state had relaxed restrictions implemented April two to enforce social distancing practices to slow down the spread of COVID-19.Past weekend reopened and Floridians were seen flocking to Cocoa Beach to sunbathe after it reopened for social activities.Last month, the attorney made news for advocacy amid the pandemic by suing Gov. Ron DeSantis to seek an injunction to get a statewide closure of beaches and urging him to issue a stay-at-home order that he later did, NBC News reported.Also Uhlfelder traveled to Florida beaches wearing a paintball costume the socket reported. But he said a girl told him he had beenscaring peopleFlorida hasconfirmed a totalof 29,648 COVID-19 cases, together with 987 deaths.

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Florida lawyer to wear Grim Reaper costume to stop people visiting beaches - The-Latest News

Coronavirus has many beaches closed, but beach reads are still coming this summer – USA TODAY

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Associated Press Published 1:01 p.m. ET April 21, 2020 | Updated 1:01 p.m. ET April 21, 2020

This combination photo of cover images shows, from left, "Hello Summer" by Mary Kay Andrews, "Girls of Summer" by Nancy Thayer, "A Week at the Shore" by Barbara Delinsky, "28 Summers" by Elin Hilderbrand and "Summer Darlings" by Brooke Lea Foster.(Photo: AP)

NEW YORK (AP) Mary Parker is a nurse from St. Louis so caught up in the beach novels of Elin Hilderbrand that she makes an annual trip to Nantucket, the Massachusetts island community where Hilderbrand sets her stories.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Parker isnt sure shell make it to Nantucket this year or even find herself close to a beach. But she will continue to make the journey in her mind, through books by Hilderbrand and others.

We dont have anything that compares to a place like Nantucket where Im from, Parker says. So writers like Elin Hilderbrand are all we have now if those are the kinds of places you dream of being. You just need that escape.

The coronavirus has already shut down most of the countrys bookstores, led to the cancellation of the industrys annual national convention, BookExpo, and driven publishers to postpone many releases to the fall or next year. It now challenges another publishing and cultural tradition beach reads. While beach reads can include any kind of light fiction, many of these romances, thrillers and family dramas are actually set on beaches and summer resorts from Nantucket to the South Carolina coast to Florida.

Government officials in New York and California already have warned that beaches are likely to be closed this summer and travel restricted. Such summer literary institutions as the book festival in Nantucket will be held online instead. And promotional tours for books will likely remain limited to virtual discussions.

Authors and booksellers contend, and hope, that you dont need a beach to read a beach book. Hilderbrand remembers a painful summer growing up when her father had died and the familys traditional summer outing was called off. Instead, she worked at a factory making Halloween costumes.

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What I could have used that summer was a book to replace my summer beach vacation, something that would have let me escape, says Hildebrand, whose bestsellers include The Summer of 69 and The Perfect Couple.

Fellow author Mary Alice Monroe says readers tell her something similar about this summer.

Theyre hoping I can take them to a place they cant get to themselves, says Monroe, whose books include The Summer Guests and Beach House for Rent.

Beach reads are as carefully timed as Christmas books, so new novels by Hilderbrand, Monroe, Nancy Thayer and others remain scheduled for May and June. Hildebrands 28 Summers, inspired in part by the film Same Time, Next Year, traces a long-term affair that began in Nantucket in 1993. Monroes On Ocean Boulevard continues her Beach House series set in South Carolina.

In Barbara Delinskys A Week at the Shore, a New Yorker confronts family issues during a visit to the Rhode Island beach house where she spent summers as a child. Nancy Thayers Girls of Summer, like Hilderbrands new book, is set in Nantucket, while Mary Kay Andrews Hello, Summer finds a journalist returning to her home in Silver Bay, Florida, where her family runs local newspapers.

This year, maybe the beach read will be on somebodys back porch or hammock or in the corner of an apartment of wherever theyre sheltering at home, Andrews says. What I hope to do is take them to the beach in their imagination.

Authors already are looking to the summer of 2021 and considering whether their next books will mention the pandemic. Monroe says she is working on a story that will have her characters living through this virus saga, and will brink back the Rutledge family of her Beach House series in the hope that readers will connect with them. Hilderbrand worked in a reference to the virus shortly before completing 28 Summers, and says that while it wont be a major plot point in her upcoming work, she might find it unavoidable to mention.

Other writers expect to avoid it, at least in the short term. Delinsky says she might refer to it in a book in a few years, when theres a better sense of perspective. Brooke Lea Foster has no need to include it. Her upcoming novel, Summer Darlings, takes place on Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts, in the 1960s. Shes currently writing a story set in the Hamptons in the 1950s.

Im sure the books that come out of this moment will be incredible, but I like to go back and escape in time, Foster said.

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Coronavirus has many beaches closed, but beach reads are still coming this summer - USA TODAY

What’s open and closed this weekend: Beaches, parks and trails in Southern California – Los Angeles Times

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So long as Southern Californians remain close to home and wear masks outdoors, they can still exercise outdoors without violating Gov. Gavin Newsoms stay-at-home order. But as the fight against the pandemic evolves, the rules at many beaches, parks and trails have been changing.

As this roundup shows, local, state and federal agencies continue to enforce closures or severely limited access at hundreds of beaches, parks, trails and forests, all phased in since early March. Yet some public agencies are easing restrictions while others hold firm.

San Diego County officials decided Friday to ease ocean-access restrictions on Monday so that cities there could reopen beaches.

In San Bernardino County, the Mt. Baldy Resort reopened for skiers on Wednesday, saying its new limits would allow for proper social distancing.

Orange Countys board of supervisors on Tuesday cleared the way for public and private golf courses to open.

Riverside County leaders did the same on Monday.

Ventura County on Saturday allowed the reopening of golf courses and bike shops among various modifications to its Stay Well at Home order. That order, which continues to close campgrounds, gyms, swimming pools and many other facilities, is effective through May 15.

Meanwhile, state and L.A. officials have taken a more guarded stance. Newsom said Wednesday he may soon modify his statewide stay-at-home order but so far, There is no date. ... We have to look every day at the data.

L.A. Police Chief Michel Moore called upon Angelenos to resist the urge to head for forbidden beaches and trails as temperatures reach the 90s in coming days.

Avoid those nonessential activities, Moore said. Save us the awkwardness of us having to admonish you.

Los Angeles Countys beaches, piers, beach bike paths, beach access points, public trails, trailheads and tennis courts are closed through May 15 under the countys current Safer at Home order. That order covers beaches in every coastal city and unincorporated area of the county.

Heres an update on whats happening where. If you do go outside for a walk, remember these tips for keeping safe. Local and state officials stress the need to take greater care in maintaining a distance of at least six feet from others.

City Recreation and Parks officials say most most park areas remain open for walking and running. But they are enforcing a broad range of restrictions. Among them: All public hiking trails and trailheads in the city of Los Angeles have been closed since March 27.

Also closed are all public beaches, public beach parking lots, beach bathrooms, piers, beach access points and the Venice Boardwalk and Ocean Front Walk (with limited access to essential businesses).

All recreation centers, aquatic facilities, golf courses, skate parks, tennis courts, playgrounds, baseball fields, soccer fields and basketball courts are also closed, as are other indoor and outdoor sport amenities.

In Griffith Park, authorities have closed all facilities and trails, including the Pbservatory, Travel Town, train rides, the pony rides, the merry-go-round and some roads.

Elsewhere, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro remains closed, as is the Sherman Oaks Castle, the Expo Center in Exposition Park; and the Silver Lake Meadow. Since April 11, walkers and joggers have been required to travel counterclockwise on the 2.2-mile loop trail around the Silver Lake and Ivanhoe reservoirs.

Some 24 farmers markets remain open in the city, including the Sunday Hollywood Farmers Market, after the city tightened safety and social-distancing requirements in early April.

Henry Brown, 42, exercises in MacArthur Park in the Westlake District of L.A. on March 31.

(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Since March 27, L.A. County officials have enforced the closure of trails, trailheads, beaches and other public lands. All of the countys park play and sports amenities, including golf courses, are also closed.

Parks officials noted on their website that you can still enjoy time outdoors at your local park for passive use, such as walking, jogging, or leisure time outdoors for individuals or families. Social distancing is still required, and group gatherings are prohibited by the health order.

Since March 23, the county has forbidden use of its multiuse trail system, a network of more than 220 miles that includes the popular Eaton Canyon Trail; all interior trails at Vasquez Rocks; all interior trails at Placerita Canyon; the Loop Trail, Devils Chair and South Fork Trail at Devils Punchbowl; the San Dimas Nature Trail; the Schabarum-Skyline Trail in the San Gabriel mountains; and dozens of other popular routes.

In Santa Monica, city beaches, the beach bike path and Ocean Front Walk closed March 27 as part of the countywide order to shut down beaches. The citys Palisades Park, which overlooks the beach and pier, is also closed.

In Hermosa Beach, the pier, Strand and beach itself are closed as part of the countywide beach closure.

In Redondo Beach, too, the pier, Strand and beach are closed. City officials also closed the Esplanade area; Veterans Park and nearby parking areas; all public walkways, stairways, ramps and paths to the beach; and a coastal bluff trail between Knob Hill Avenue and George Freeth Way.

On Catalina Island, the Catalina Chamber of Commerce is urging non-residents to stay away. The Catalina Express, which normally runs boats to the islands Avalon and Two Harbors landings from Long Beach, San Pedro and Dana Point, has cut its service back to two round-trips a day between Long Beach and Avalon. At the Catalina Flyer, which normally offers one departure daily from Newport Beach to Avalon, a phone recording warned that the boat has suspended service until further notice. The Catalina Island Conservancy has closed its visitor facilities, services and trails.

On March 18, state parks officials closed all state campgrounds. On March 29, they tightened restrictions further, closing vehicle access to the entire state park system 280 parks, including off-road vehicle areas.

Since then, the state has fully closed dozens of parks, banning pedestrians as well as vehicles. Among them: The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve; more than a dozen state parks and beaches in L.A. County; San Clemente State Beach in Orange County; seven state beaches in San Diego County; and four state beaches and parks in Ventura County.

At Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area in the Baldwin Hills area of L.A., officials said in a statement that the park is closed to vehicular access but remains open for locals who wish to walk, hike and bike (in parks with bike trails) in the park, provided they practice social/physical distancing of six feet or more. This is not the time for a road trip to a destination park or beach.

In the first week of April, Pasadena city officials closed the Rose Bowl Loop, a popular 3.1-mile-long walking path around the famed stadium.

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens is closed through at least May 15.

Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge is closed until further notice. The L.A. Arboretum in Arcadia is open, with advance reservations required to prevent crowding.

The National Park Service has imposed weekend closures on all Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area trails, trailheads, restrooms, overlooks and pullouts in Ventura County. Authorities said those areas will remain open on weekdays, when crowds are thinner.

Those weekend closures begin at 2 p.m. Fridays and reopen at 6 a.m. Mondays until further notice, an NPS release said.

That policy covers Rancho Sierra Vista (including the Wendy Trailhead); Cheeseboro Canyon Trailhead; the Deer Creek area; and all trails within Circle X, which includes Sandstone Creek, Mishe Mokwa, the Grotto Trail, the trails and overlooks along Yerba Buena Road and the Backbone Trail along the spine of the Santa Monicas.

As part of the earlier L.A. County-wide closure of hiking trails, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area had already shut down all of its trails and restrooms in L.A. County.

Also, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority on March 23 closed all of its parklands, trail and facilities close to 75,000 acres of parkland, including all parks owned by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.

The authoritys busiest parks, now closed, include Wilacre Park in Studio City; Temescal Gateway Park in Pacific Palisades; Franklin Canyon Park off Mulholland Drive, Beverly Hills; Ed Davis Park in Towsley Canyon, the Santa Clarita Valley; all the overlooks on Mulholland Drive; Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve at the west end of Victory Boulevard; and Escondido Canyon Park in Malibu.

The City of Ventura on April 20 reopened its beaches, pier, promenade and parks, subject to requirements that people keep their distance and dont linger.

The City of Port Hueneme, experimenting with a soft reopening, has reopened its beach (and a parking lot) to walking, running, biking and solo surfing and paddleboarding, but said it would discouraging sunbathing or any stationary presence on the sand. Its pier, restrooms, playground and street parking remain closed.

Orange County on March 25 closed parking lots at all county beaches, regional and wilderness parks; parking spaces at all trailheads; parking lots at Irvine Lake; parking along Black Star Canyon Road; pedestrian access points at Thousand Steps, Table Rock, West, Camel Point and Treasure Island beaches; restrooms; playgrounds; exercise equipment; shelters and trailheads. Pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians were permitted.

Orange County also banned vehicular traffic to Carbon Canyon, Clark, Craig, Irvine, Laguna Niguel, Mason, Mile Square, Tri-City and Yorba regional parks. Pedestrians, bicyclists and equestrians were permitted.

Among individual Orange County coastal cities, north to south:

Seal Beach has closed its beach, pier and many park amenities. But green space within its parks remains accessible with social distancing required.

Huntington Beachs pier and beach parking lots have been closed since late March, followed by closure of street parking along Pacific Coast Highway April 16 and closure of Huntington Harbor beaches on April 17. But other beaches and park areas remain open.

Newport Beach on March 25 closed its beachfront parking lots and piers, and later added its Oceanfront Boardwalk on the Balboa Peninsula and the Balboa Island Bayfront Walkway to the forbidden list. On April 10the city banned surfing at the Wedge between 10 a.m and 5 p.m., citing large numbers of surfers attracted by growing swells.

Laguna Beach has closed all city beaches, all basketball, volleyball and tennis courts; all playgrounds; its community pool; parking lots at Aliso Beach; and three beach-adjacent city parks: Main Beach city park, Heisler city park and Treasure Island city park.

In Dana Point, city, county and state beach and harbor public parking lots are closed, as is Dana Cove Beach and many coast-adjacent streets. (Others are limited to local traffic only.) Noting that police recently wrote 158 parking citations in one weekend, city officials said in a statement, If you have to use your car to get here, there is nowhere to park.

San Clemente in late March closed its city-owned beach parking lots and municipal pier and many other facilities. On April 1 it closed tennis courts, ball fields and picnic areas as well, but the citys trails remained open.

The Safer at Home order from Los Angeles County Public Health officials, issued March 21 and updated April 10, prohibits all public and private group events and gatherings through May 15. It also says that individuals and families are not prohibited from hiking, walking, biking or shopping at [e]ssential [b]usinesses, so long as they keep their distance from others.

The order also notes that if local entities (like municipal governments) choose to impose stricter limits, the county order does not supersede them.

Los Angeles County has closed all indoor and outdoor playgrounds, along with indoor shopping centers and all swap meets and flea markets.

Under a vote by San Diego Countys Board of Supervisors Friday, that countys ocean reopens Monday morning to swimming, surfing, kayaking and paddle-boarding, but not group activities, sunbathing or boating. Parking lots and boardwalks will stay closed and the decision does not apply to state beaches. Cities within the county can choose to stick with stricter restrictions.

Most of San Diego Countys parks and preserves have remained open for pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians, but their parking lots and many facilities and amenities are closed.

Among cities within San Diego County, San Diego, Carlsbad, Encinitas and Imperial Beach agreed Wednesday to coordinate their beach reopenings -- but didnt set a specific reopening date.

The city of San Diego closed its beaches, parks and trails on March 24.

The Port of San Diego, which controls 34 miles of the countys coastline, including many parks, on March 24 closed all of its parks, beaches, parking lots, piers and boat launches.

The U.S. Forest Service on March 26 closed campgrounds, picnic areas, bathrooms and other developed recreation sites in its California forests through April 30 and left Southern Californias four forests Angeles, Cleveland, Los Padres and San Bernardino to make their own decisions on trail access and parking.

In the Angeles National Forest, authorities on April 3 closed 23 well-used San Gabriel mountaintrails, four popular trailheads and 19 roads through at least April 30.

This map shows the affected areas. The closures about 81.5 miles of trails and 54.5 miles of roads include the Millard Canyon above Altadena, San Antonio Falls, Icehouse Canyon and North Devils Backbone trailheads.

The forest order shuts routes to Echo Mountain and Mt. Lowe, such as the Sam Merrill Trail, above Altadena, as well as others leading to Mt. Wilson, San Gabriel Peak, the Rim Trail and other routes in the San Gabriel Mountains.

In the San Bernardino National Forest, whose 680,000 acres include four mountain ranges in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, a spokesman said trails, trailheads, staging areas that function as trailheads and parking areas at trailheads remain open. Hikers should practice social distancing, sticking to wide fire roads instead of single-track trails that are too narrow, the spokesman said.

In Los Padres National Forest, which includes roughly 1.95 million acres reaching north from Ventura County into Central California, spokesman Andrew Madsen said trailhead parking and trails remain open, as do dispersed camp sites in the backcountry.

In Cleveland National Forest, which reaches into San Diego, Riverside and Orange counties, the list of sites closed through April 30 includes all trails and picnic areas where an Adventure Pass is normally required.

In the forests Trabuco ranger district, a spokesperson said closures include: El Cariso north/south picnic area; Hot Springs trailhead; San Juan loop trailhead; Tenaja trailhead; Trabuco creek picnic area; Wildomar staging area; Maple Springs day use area.

In the forests Descanso Ranger District, closures include Agua Dulce; Bear Valley OHV (off-highway vehicle) area; and Corral Canyon.

In the forests Palomar Ranger District, closures include: Crestline; Henshaw scenic vista; Inaja Memorial; Kica Mik Overlook; Palomar Mountain Interpretive Station; San Luis Rey Picnic Area; Fry Creek Trailhead; Observatory Trailhead; and Barker Valley Trailhead. The popular Cedar Creek Falls and Three Sisters Falls trails have been closed since March 21.

The National Park Service closed Yosemite National Park March 20; Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks on March 25 Joshua Tree National Park on March 31; and Death Valley National Park (except for State Route 190 and Daylight Pass) on April 4.

Meanwhile the NPSs federal cousin the Bureau of Land Management has left open much of Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. A BLM spokeswoman estimated 9,000 visitors brought dune buggies ad dirt bikes there during the week after Easter, but attendance is expected to dwindle as temperatures rise.

Californias Department of Fish and Wildlife director, Charlton H. Bonham, has postponed the start of the trout season in Alpine, Inyo and Mono counties. Once set for April 25, the season is now set to open May 31.

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What's open and closed this weekend: Beaches, parks and trails in Southern California - Los Angeles Times

Coronavirus: City of Ventura to allow limited access to closed beaches, parks, pier – VC Star

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Hospital nurses are moving into RVs because they are worried they could be exposed to COVID-19 at work. Ventura County Star

The city of Ventura updated its closure orderof parks and beaches Monday night, allowing people to walk, jog, bike and surf.

People will have limited access tocity parks, beaches, the promenade and pier. But they won't be allowed to linger, sit on the sand, fish from the pier,picnicor stick around in any fashion.

It's open for movement, not for gathering, city officials said. Park- or beach-goers also must practicephysical distancing, keeping at least six feet from others and avoiding groups.

Parking areas will continue to be closed and restrooms, playgrounds, picnic areas, courts and fields also will stay shuttered.

Sand along the Ventura coast is a patchwork of state and city jurisdictions. In early April, days after the city announced it was closing its beach, promenade and pier, the statealso closed its beaches in the area and Ventura Harbor did the same.

Ventura Harbor said Tuesday that it again would follow the city's decision, allowing the same limited access at its beaches.

California State Parks also said it was easing restrictions at San Buenaventura, Emma Wood and Mandalay beaches.

Editor's note:The Star is making this storyfreeto readers due to public health concerns related to coronavirus.Please consider a digital subscription to The Star so we can continue doing this important work.

"We are removing our full closure and going back to our soft closure," said Dena Bellman, state parks spokesperson.

That means all facilities are closed, but active recreation is allowed on beaches, trails and in the water.

Gatherings are not allowed, she said, and ifpeople are in a group and not practicing physical distancing, they will be contacted by a ranger and may have to leave.

Parking areas at state parks properties also will stay closed. Authorities have urged people to stick closer to home and not travel to beaches or parks outside of their community.

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The changes are expected to be rolled out over the next several days. The Ventura City Council called for clear signs to be posted around parks and beaches and a stepped-up enforcement system.

If a city park becomes overcrowded or people do not comply with physical distancing practices, the on-duty watch commander of the Ventura Police Department can order the park cleared.

The first time that happens, the park or beach would be closedfor 24 hours.

If it happens a second time, the closure would last 48 hours, and a third closure would leave the spot closed indefinitely, according to the council's decision.

"This is not considered opening. It's considered a limited closure," Council member Cheryl Heitmann said Monday.

Coronavirus:Patchwork of jurisdictions and closures add confusion to beach, park access

"Not everyone is going to be happy. There are people who really desperately want to come to the beach or the park, bring their kids and let their kids run around, play and picnic,"she said. "That just isn't where we are yet. We'll get there."

Farther down the coast, Port Hueneme recently had "a soft reopening" of its beach.

City officials said people could walk, run,surf, bike or swim at Hueneme Beach, but not hang out or socialize. The pier, picnic areas, restrooms, and playground equipment will stay closed.

People also have to practice physicaldistancing and avoid groups.

This will be a slow rollout," said Port Hueneme Police Chief Andrew Salinas, according toa statement. "If beachgoers can follow social distancing guidelines and these new beach restrictions, we will not need to reinstate another beach closure."

People were discouraged from sunbathing, gathering or sitting. Beach-goers won't be allowed to bring blankets, chairs, coolers, umbrellas, tents or similar items onto the beach.

Does this mean County Line beach is open?

County Line beach is part of Leo Carrillo State Park, which was closed as of Monday. It is one of several state beaches and state parks along a stretch of the south coast of Ventura County. Those also were still closed Monday.

What about Chumash Trail, Sycamore Canyon or La Jolla Canyon?

Those are part of Point Mugu State Park, which also were still closed as of Monday afternoon.

Are trails open in the Conejo Valley area?

On Wednesday, the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency is expected to reopen its trails on weekdays only. Trails will be closed on weekends and parking areas will stay closed.

Are other beaches or parks open in Ventura County?

As of late Friday, county-run parks were reopened. Those are only sites managed by the County of Ventura. A list is available here: https://www.ventura.org/parks-department/. Beaches at Channel Islands Harbor, including Silver Strand, Kiddie and Hollywood, also are open.

Outdoors: Some Conejo Valley trails will reopen later this week, but only on weekdays

Cheri Carlson covers the environment for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com or 805-437-0260.

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Coronavirus: City of Ventura to allow limited access to closed beaches, parks, pier - VC Star

COVID-19: Satellite Beach, Cocoa Beach reopen beaches to sunbathers, groups of 5 or less – Florida Today

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A Satellite Beach police officer patrols the sand March 28 near Pelican Beach Park after city officials closed the beach between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. because of the coronavirus pandemic.(Photo: Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY)

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Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach officials have reopened beaches for sunbathing, sitting in chairs and all other activities within city limits during the coronavirus pandemic but groups must be five people or fewer.

Since April 2,both cities joineda group of Brevard County beachside communities in limitingbeach activities to walking, jogging, biking, fishing, surfing and swimming during Florida's 30-day"safer at home" order.

"The City would like to thank our community for continuing to abide by the social distancing measures we have put in place at our beaches to safeguard our residents during this pandemic response," Satellite Beach City Manager Courtney Barker wrote in a Tuesday afternoon Facebook post.

"Since these measures have been put in place, the beaches have been areas of strong compliance, while still giving our residents a place to exercise and relax," Barker wrote.

"As such, the City is now allowing all beach activities to take place, including sunbathing and sitting on the beach. However, we will be limiting activities on the beach to groups of fiveor less, and we will continue to limit any congregating on the boardwalks," she wrote.

"Our beach public parking remains closed as well," she wrote.

Cocoa Beach's executive order specifies that beachgoers must practice social distancing of at least 6 feet in all directions. Beach parking, beach access parking and the downtown parking garage remain closed.

Cocoa Beach's ban on beach alcohol remains in effect. What's more, thecity's public beach parking closure includescommercial lots and motorists whoparkillegally face $500tickets, saidMelissa Byron, director of economic development.

The Indian Harbour Beach City Council will discuss the topic during a Thursday afternoon workshop, City Manager Mark Ryan said.

Indialantic Mayor Dave Berkman andMelbourne Beach Town Manager Elizabeth Mascaro said their neighboring communities will continue limitingbeach activities to walking, jogging, biking, fishing, surfing and swimming.

Berkman and Mascaro said their respective towns will review the topicnext week.

During the last weekend of March,Satellite Beach,Cocoa Beach, Indian Harbour Beach, Indialanticand Melbourne Beach announced temporary daytime beach closures, fearing a crush of visitors from Orlando and Central Florida.

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COVID-19: Satellite Beach, Cocoa Beach reopen beaches to sunbathers, groups of 5 or less - Florida Today

Will IRCSO patrol county beaches when they re-open Tuesday? ‘Absolutely,’ sheriff says – TCPalm

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19-year-old Jose Zacapa was released from Lawnwood Thursday, April 23, 2020, to a crowd of cheers after beating COVID-19 Wochit

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY Just one week ago, Indian River County officialssaidthere were no plans to re-open county facilities in an effort to help curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

"I know everyone is eager to put this event behind us," County Administrator Jason Brown said at an afternoon news conference seven days ago,"But we need to make sure that we finish strong."

But on Friday, noting a "leveling-off" of COVID-19 cases,Brown announced anew plan for the county's facilities: Public beach access points will re-open Tuesday, followed by the re-opening of Sandridge Golf Club May 1.

"We're going to see how it goes," Brown said,"We're doing this on a weekday first, so that we're hoping that we have a nice opening experience for everyone."

Brown added that the county should not let its guard down in the battle to prevent the spread of the virus.

More: 'Jose is a miracle': St. Lucie ESE student discharged from hospital after battle with COVID-19

During Friday's weekly COVID-19 press conference at the county's Emergency Operations Center, law enforcement joined county and health officials toshed new light on the countywideresponse to the virus.

Indian River County Sheriff Deryl Loar said deputies will "absolutely" be patrolling the beaches to ensure beach-goers are adhering to social distancing guidelines and avoiding large groups. There will also be county ambassadors on the beach reminding everyone to be responsible, Loar said.

"We are prepared to enforce," Loar said. "But again, our mission is to educate and inform before any type of enforcement."

Loar alsosaidthere are no confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in the Indian River County Jail.

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Miranda Hawker, the county's health officer,confirmed four of the county's five COVID-19 deaths are associated with assisted living facilityHarborchase of Vero Beach.

The Health Department is reporting the facility at 4150 Indian River Boulevard also has seven cases of the virus, Hawker said. The Departmentis constantly communicating with assisted living facilities on the status of their residents, Hawker added.

"Consistently, we have our nursing homes and our assisted living facilities reporting those residents who may have symptoms," Hawker said. "So we're tracking that across the board."

For more news, follow Max Chesnes on Twitter by clicking here.

Max Chesnes is a TCPalm breaking news reporter for Indian River County. You can keep up with Max on Twitter @MaxChesnes, email him at max.chesnes@tcpalm.com and give him a call at 772-978-2224.

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Will IRCSO patrol county beaches when they re-open Tuesday? 'Absolutely,' sheriff says - TCPalm

When Pinellas County reopens its beaches and businesses, officials want to move slowly – Tampa Bay Times

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Municipal leaders along Pinellas Countys shoreline support opening nonessential businesses, but are divided on how beaches, eateries and bars should open if Gov. Ron DeSantis emergency stay-at-home order expires next week.

At the request of county administrator Barry Burton and Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, leaders of many Pinellas towns submitted dozens of ways to ease restrictions so residents can again earn paychecks and possibly enjoy the 35 miles of pristine beaches.

While divided on beaches and businesses, the leaders are united in requiring people to maintain a 6-foot distance from one another and to avoid gathering in large groups, so they can limit a further spread of COVID-19. They also want to fall back under the countys earlier safer-at-home order that required many businesses to close at 10 p.m. When residents return to beaches, it could only be for exercising under a phased plan, some suggested, and restaurant capacities should be reduced by 50 percent.

Several municipal leaders also want the public to wear face masks, according to a review of records.

This will become the new normal for quite some time, so the more we practice it, the less of an inconvenience it becomes, Madeira Beach City Manager Bob Daniels wrote about the social distancing and masks.

The governors emergency order has limited all activity in Florida to essential services since April 3, but the County Commission closed all beaches five weeks ago to limit the spread of COVID-19. County leaders want to lay the groundwork for a new plan in case DeSantis lifts his order.

Gualtieri and Burton are examining medical data, including the percentage of positive COVID-19 tests and the number of people in the 14-day incubation period, to determine if the pandemic has peaked in the county. They expect to inform commissioners on Tuesday.

County and city leaders dont want a repeat of last month when thousands of people packed Clearwater Beach and a viral video unleashed a flood of accusations from across the globe that Pinellas elected officials were enabling a public health crisis.

Clearwaters detailed plan comes with several caveats, City Manager Bill Horne said in an interview. The three-phase approach does not describe a hard and fast plan, but rather a list of guidelines the city could change at any time in response to future COVID-19 outbreaks.

Like the White Houses Opening Up America Again guidelines, Clearwater and others prefer openings to come in phases.

For example, in the first phase, Clearwater Beach would open from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. to recreational users only. There would be no relaxation or sunbathing allowed, only exercise. The city would station lifeguards and police officers to make sure beachgoers behave. In phase two, the beach would reopen with no special time or lawful activity restrictions, but people would have to maintain a social distance of 6 feet on the sand. Umbrella rental companies could serve customers, but only at 50 percent capacity.

Beach reopening drew the most suggestions.

The Belleair Shore Commission wants beaches fully opened. Indian Rocks Beach wants public parking and restrooms opened. Treasure Island doesnt want parking opened, but prefers parks and recreation centers to open.

Tarpon Springs said beaches and pools should open only after nonessential businesses have returned for two weeks. St. Pete Beach agreed.

Getting people to jobs should be a priority," St. Pete Beach City Manager Alex Rey wrote. All businesses should be open before getting them to have a good time at the beach.

Dunedin supports a countywide approach to opening to ensure equitability among businesses" and wants ample notice so businesses can recall employees.

Still, Gualtieri said, the number of positive COVID-19 tests has to go in the right direction to open back up. He cautioned that the number of positive cases could rise, but the county is below its projected peak.

We are not going to have robust testing in the foreseeable future," he said Wednesday. We have to manage expectations.

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When Pinellas County reopens its beaches and businesses, officials want to move slowly - Tampa Bay Times

Heat wave has people even more anxious to hit the beach – CBS News 8

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An NWS heat advisory for the inland valleys was slated to remain in effect through 6 p.m. Saturday.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. A spring heat wave sent temperatures soaring in the San Diego area Friday, providing a toasty preview of summer as thermometer readings neared triple digits in the inland valleys and broke past that barrier in the deserts.

The hot spell, which has been building since midweek, is expected to continue in earnest Saturday before beginning to ebb on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

This afternoon, the mercury edged into the low to mid-80s along the coast and in the mountains, reached the mid-90s in locales in between those zones and climbed to 103 in the desert community of Ocotillo Wells, according to the NWS.

Yesterday was the first time I noticed we had the air on at our house. We were getting really hot in there for the first time, and tomorrow is going to be even worse, Tim Gaylord told News 8 during his walk along Windansea beach.

As temperatures soar, San Diegans are getting their first feel of summer weather, but there's just one problem: San Diego County's beloved beaches will remain closed during the peak of the heat wave.

Today was the first day I woke up sweating. I couldnt put my wet suit on and run down here [to the beach] but hopefully soon, said local surfer Nathan Bohmhoff. Its torture, I pay so much money to live here and I cant go in the ocean so its sucks."

On Friday, San Diego County health officials lifted ocean restrictions for swimmers, surfers and those using kayaks or paddleboards.

Piers, boardwalks and parking lots are still closed to the public, and the order does not include boat ramps or watercraft. It also does not apply to state parks and beaches.

The decision of beach closures has been left to the cities.

Its like being at an amusement park and being too short to ride the rides, said surfer Dylan Cheema.

Each municipality can make the call on opening beaches. Any beaches that do open will be subject to the county's "passive use" definition, and visitors must avoid sitting, lying and engaging in group activities -- any open beach can be used for walking, running or as an access point to the ocean.

Cheema is one of many people who live near the water and does not have AC, but does have other ways to cool off.

Open the windows, go for some walks and take cold showers, he said with a laugh.

City of San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said the next phase of opening city beaches would consist of beaches shorelines, all activities with physical distance, boardwalks, piers, parking lots, and Fiesta Island.

Gatherings would still not be allowed.

An NWS heat advisory for the inland valleys was slated to remain in effect through 6 p.m. Saturday.

Temperatures will drop Sunday and Monday, though afternoon highs in the deserts will remain around 100 through at least Thursday, forecasters advised.

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Heat wave has people even more anxious to hit the beach - CBS News 8

Oak Island opening beaches Friday, with restrictions – WWAY NewsChannel 3

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OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) The Town of Oak Island is opening its beaches to the public on Friday morning, but there will be restrictions in place.

All access points and beaches will open for exercise, such as walking, jogging, and biking between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Exercise groups should not have more than 10 people.

Sunbathing, sitting, fishing, games and all other activities will not be permitted on the beaches at this time.

All beach equipment such as towels, blankets, chairs, tents, coolers, and umbrellas are also not allowed. The cabana restroom facility will remain closed.

Public parking at the beach accesses and parking lots, as well as parking within the town rights-of-way is prohibited, except for town employees, government officials and contractors. Towing will be enforced.

Parks and recreational facilities, public boat ramps, and kayak launches will remain closed.

The public is also prohibited from parking in private lots in order to access the beach. This includes all private business, commercial and club parking lots and parking spaces.

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Oak Island opening beaches Friday, with restrictions - WWAY NewsChannel 3

After two-week closure, three Brunswick beaches reopen; Kure and Carolina still closed [Free read] – Port City Daily

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Public beach accesses in Kure Beach remain closed as several beach communities along the coast reopen access points, allowing existing residents to exercise on the beach strand. (Port City Daily photo/Johanna F. Still)

SOUTHEASTERN, N.C. Less than two weeks after closing the public beach strand due to the coronavirus, many of Brunswick Countys southern beach towns have reopened their public access points.

Holden Beach and Ocean Isle Beach lifted their beach access restrictions effective noon Tuesday. Public parking remains closed in both towns, so the reopening will largely serve existing property owners. Holden Beach will allow exercise and relaxation while Ocean Isle Beach limits access to only exercise activities.

Related: From Surf City to the South Carolina border, most public beach access now closed [Free read]

Oak Island will reopen its beach strand Friday at noon, with access points staying open between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. The town will not allow beach equipment and only permit non-stationary exercise activities. Public parking lots remain closed and no one is permitted to park in a private parking lot for the purpose of accessing the beach. Violators of the towns order could be fined up to $1,000.

The public strand on Sunset Beach remains closed. Caswell Beach, one of the few municipalities that did not close off public access, has not lifted its public parking ban.

After four weeks of closure, Wrightsville Beach reopened its public access points at noon Monday. Parking remains closed and non-exercise activities and beach equipment are not permitted. In a statement late Friday after a small protest to reopen town businesses, Carolina Beach Mayor LeAnn Peirce said a soft reopening was in the works. In a live video streamed Wednesday afternoon, Pierce said staff is considering reopening the beach strand Monday to only exercise activities while limiting beach equipment.

In a Tuesday letter, Kure Beach Mayor Craig Blozinsky shared concerns about reopening too quickly before a greater percentage of the population is tested for the virus. Kure Beachs public beach strand remains closed.

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After two-week closure, three Brunswick beaches reopen; Kure and Carolina still closed [Free read] - Port City Daily

Surfers, Swimmers, Beach-Lovers Want Answers: When Will We Get Back in the Water, and on the Sand? – NBC 7 San Diego

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Jeran Fraser decided to do more than just complain about the closure of the local beaches and ocean waters he loves so much. So, the Carlsbad resident consulted with scientists and local biotech companies, to learn more about how the coronavirus spreads, and how social distancing can help reduce that spread.

Fraser, whos an avid surfer, fisherman, and founder of a sports-tech start-up, then shared what he learned with county supervisors and coastal mayors.

That information included a letter from a local biotech CEO who argued that a managed opening up of beaches, trails, and water so residents can safely move about, will greatly relieve crowding and enable more effective social distancing conditions.

Fraser, whos also a partner with Famous Surf Accessories, agrees with that approach.

I think our goal is to kind of put a little pressure on (local government,) and provide them with the correct science, he told NBC 7. So weve been in contact directly with the county Board of Supervisors and the Department of Public Health.

Like many of his friends and colleagues, Fraser is happy that the local government has a plan to reopen beaches. That two-step approach starts with reopening our beaches and bays for running, walking, surfing, and swimming.

But Fraser, like so many other county residents, desperately wants to hear an actual opening date. He also thinks our elected officials and public health experts should do a better job of keeping San Diegans informed of the re-opening process.

Fraser has one other priority: I do believe we have to create some sort of mandate in which beaches are all opened together, so we dont all flock to one place, and defeat the important goal of continued social distancing, Fraser said.

Hes hoping for a uniform May 1 reopening along the coast but understands that there are a lot of factors at play.

To learn more about Frasers effort, click here.

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Surfers, Swimmers, Beach-Lovers Want Answers: When Will We Get Back in the Water, and on the Sand? - NBC 7 San Diego

Visitors flock to the beach as South Padre Island reopens – KGBT-TV

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SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas People are back out on the sand and in the water as beaches opened across South Padre Island today.

Cameron County announced the reopening of the coastline and community parks on Friday and residents immediately flocked to the island.

Dozens came out to the coast to enjoy some much needed sun and fresh air.

The island is open, however, there are limitations in place.

Visitors are required to wear masks, practice social distancing, not allowed to meet in groups larger than five, and have curfews in place.

Consider everyone else, take extra precautions, be more calm about it be more open-minded and things like that and still be aware that the virus is still out there but make it fit with your everyday life, said Anthony Garcia, a Brownsville resident who was thrilled to be back on the beach.

To read more rules on each of the beachs access areas and parks, visit here.

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Visitors flock to the beach as South Padre Island reopens - KGBT-TV

Here is Galveston’s plan to open its restaurants and beaches – KHOU.com

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City officials have come up with a plan that will be presented to city council on Thursday.

GALVESTON, Texas The city of Galveston was once a bustling beach town, but it has gone quiet during the coronavirus pandemic.

There are empty beaches, local attractions are closed and restaurants have closed their doors to abide by the new normal.

Soon, everything could change.

We are looking to the governor and the state level and the timelines and the businesses affected. What we are doing is getting all 13 cities and the mayors together, Galveston County Judge Mark Henry said.

Henry said the goal is to come up with a plan and reopen all cities in the county at the same time.

Coordination between all 13 cities is important. We wouldnt want to have restaurants open in one place and not in another place because then people would flock there and overwhelm that system when we really would like to have it all done at the same time, Henry said.

City officials have come up with a plan that will be presented to city council on Thursday.

In the plan, they have a directive for restaurants to open but dining parties have to be placed 6 feet apart. All workers will have to wear masks.

Bars and clubs would also be open but must practice social distancing and no dancing will be allowed.

Hotels will also be allowed to reopen their pools.

Retail establishments will open for curbside delivery options.

City beaches will be open for exercise only in the morning and afternoon.

Major attractions will remain closed until further evaluation.

It's all still a proposal.

We dont want to jump the gun. We want to make sure we do this in the proper and sequence manner as directed by the governors office, Henry said.

A timeline to reopen has not yet been set. That will be discussed during the Galveston city council meeting on Thursday.

The city said this is all based on the advice and data provided by local health authorities and UTMB.

Coronavirus symptoms

The symptoms of coronaviruscan be similar to the flu or a bad cold. Symptoms include a fever, cough and shortness of breath, according tothe Centers for Disease Control. Some patients also have nausea, body aches, headaches and stomach issues. Losing your sense of taste and/or smell can also be an early warning sign.

Most healthy people will have mild symptoms. Astudy of more than 72,000 patients by the Centers for Disease Control in China showed 80 percent of the cases there were mild.

But infections can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death, according to theWorld Health Organization. Older people with underlying health conditions are most at risk for becoming seriously ill. However, U.S. experts are seeing a significant number of younger people being hospitalized, including some in ICU.

The CDC believes symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 14 days after being exposed.

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Great news if you watch TV with an antenna

KHOU has just upgraded its technology. If you were unable to receive KHOU with your antenna in the past, try again on channel 11.11. You may have to rescan your channels for it to work if thats the case, weve got some instructions at KHOU.com/antenna. If you already see KHOU on 11.1, you may now ALSO see it on 11.11 its the exact same programming. Were really excited to be able to bring our KHOU 11 News, CBS shows and sports, Wheel of Fortune, Ellenand Great Day Houston to more homes around the area. If youre still having trouble, please contact us here and well try to get you set up.

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Here is Galveston's plan to open its restaurants and beaches - KHOU.com

Edisto Beach and Kiawah respond to opening of public beaches – WCBD News 2

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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) The towns of Edisto Beach and Kiawah Island have responded to Governor McMasters recent executive order reopening public beach access.

Edisto Beach Town Council voted to continue checkpoints restricting island access to residents and immediate family members until at least May 30. The original exceptions still apply.

Public beach access will also be limited to residents, renters, lease holders, and property owners of the Town, and their verified immediate family members (defined as spouse, children, parents, grandparents). Beaches should only be used for the purposes of exercise and recreational activities and social distancing rules still apply. The ordinance emphasizes that day visitors are specifically prohibited from utilizing the public beach access during the effective time of this Emergency Ordinance 2020-14.

Kiawah Island noted that most of their beaches are private, so they did not fall under the Governors order. The exception is Beachwalker County Park, which they have decided will remain closed.

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Edisto Beach and Kiawah respond to opening of public beaches - WCBD News 2

Ready or not, the automation age is suddenly upon us – VentureBeat

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After COVID-19, theres no going back to the way things were. There wont be sporting events or concerts with thousands of people sitting in close proximity for a long time. The open office floor plan will likely become a relic of a bygone era. It is, as The New York Times stated recently, the end of the economy as we knew it.

What were witnessing is the epitome of a burning platform, a metaphor for a crisis that demands drastic change. Much like a wartime atmosphere, were in a moment when changes such as universal healthcare and universal basic income suddenly seem possible.

There is no going back, and looking forward offers no clear view of just what comes next, only radical uncertainty and possible scenarios. We are indeed looking through a glass darkly.

The next several years will be tumultuous amid a severe economic downturn as society seeks the next normal. What we do know is that existing trends will be accelerated from sheer economic necessity even as new trends emerge. These rapid changes will include the acceleration of enterprise digital transformation and the automation of work.

During this time AI-driven automation led by computer vision, IoT sensor arrays, and pervasive connectivity will accelerate the replacement of humans in the production process. Not just because automation technologies are now capable of performing these tasks but also because unlike humans machines do not get sick, go on strike, or stop production.

Recent examples of meatpacking plant closings highlight the problem. The whole system is gummed up, Iowa State University agricultural economist Dermot Hayes said in a USA Today story. Its not just the farm and the packer. Its all along the chain.

With digital transformation accelerating, that chain could look very different a few years from now. Already, a highly automated meatpacking plant that employs fewer people is remaining open. A more fully automated food supply chain could reduce future scenes of empty store shelves, long lines at food banks, and crops rotting in the fields. Over the next five years, AI-powered automation will be far advanced and an ingrained feature of the next normal.

Starting with the farm, 75 million connectedagricultural devices such as drones, tractors, and sensors are already producing volumes of data for analysis and insight. For example, Bear Flag Roboticsisusing computer vision for autonomous tractors that canwork fields around the clock without a driver, using sensorslikethose in autonomous road vehicles.Workers at NatureFresh Farms dont need to patrol the aisles of their 185 acres of greenhouses to see if crops are ripe. Instead, robotic cameras collect images of plants, feeding the data into AI algorithms that calculate exactly when blossoms will transform themselves into fully ripe vegetables.

Harvesting and sorting are also using AI-powered automation. Agricultural robots (known as agribots) are starting to be used to harvest crops at a higher volume and faster pace, more accurately identify and eliminate weeds, and reduce costs.For example, Harvest CROO Robotics has developed a strawberry picking agribot. BBC Technologies uses computer vision to classify and sort up to 2,400 individual blueberries every second to determine which should be eaten in a week or would be better for a long journey from South America to the United States.

Beyond farm and ranch, retailers will know exactly what products their customers want, how much, where, and when. Many of these applications are still in early stages of maturity and adoption. Necessity will drive rapid advances and within several years could approach maturity, resilience, and widespread implementation. By 2025, Agribots, lights out warehouses, cashierless checkout, and home delivery by autonomous vehicles will move from curiosities to commonplace.

The food sector is hardly the only one that will speed-up AI adoption and automation because of the crisis. Similar trends are taking place in banking, retail, consumer goods, insurance, pharmaceuticals and others.

A survey of nearly 800 executives worldwide by Bain & Company estimates the number of companies scaling up automation technologies will double in the next two years. The firm noted: As companies adapt to new routines and prepare for a pending downturn, automation solutions that might have been years away a few months ago, are suddenly right around the corner. Examples of manufacturers who plan to speed up automation efforts include LG Electronics, VW, and Hyundai.

The debate about what impact AI-driven automation will have on jobs and the workforce, both in terms of timing and reach, has so far been mostly theoretical. This is because large-scale automation throughout industry supply chains has not been technically feasible to date. That is changing rapidly. At the same time, the crisis will force businesses to adopt lower cost and higher efficiency technologies as a matter of survival. Increased automation will add much needed resilience to complex systems and help to better manage future pandemics and other black swan events.

Kevin Scott, CTO at Microsoft, is optimistic about jobs, claiming that AI will create new opportunities. His view is similar to others who believe that AI and robotics will drive economic growth and release people from performing mundane, boring, and unfulfilling tasks, while creating new roles. However, those new roles have not really materialized, at least not yet, while the crisis at hand will push automation forward at an accelerated rate.

Perhaps those hoped-for new job categories will still emerge. Economics Professor Johannes Moeniusat the University of Redlands noted that the workforce that companies will need after the recovery will likely look quite different from the workforce needed before. People will increasingly need a blend of technical abilities to develop and administer automation tools combined with social, collaboration, and design skills.

While AI has been around in various forms for 70 years, it is the decade ahead that will mark the true beginning of the AI era, when it moves from game master to broad industry adoption. This transformation will have profound impacts on society.

Gary Grossman is the Senior VP of Technology Practice atEdelmanand Global Lead of the Edelman AI Center of Excellence.

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Ready or not, the automation age is suddenly upon us - VentureBeat

ROI of Automated User Provisioning – Security Boulevard

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The vast majority of organizations experience at least one challenge when it comes to identity management, and user provisioning has historically been a laborious and seemingly never-ending task for IT departments. One way to address these challenges is by automating user provisioning though it might seem daunting at the outset.

Heres how to go about automating user provisioning and understanding the long-term benefits it could provide to your organization.

In this article, user provisioning refers to the set of processes by which an IT admin creates a new user not only in the central directory service but also in all their permitted resources. This includes their laptop/workstation, email account, web apps, servers, and networks.

Ideally, a new user will have a core identity that propagates everywhere, rather than having a different identity for each resource. If an admin is able to ensure each user has one core identity, that admin has more control, security, and visibility in their environment. To take it one step further, they can automate user provisioning so that this process happens without repeated manual input. Establishing automation processes takes initial investment but has the potential to reduce manual labor, improve accuracy, tighten security, and help achieve regulatory compliance.

First, you have to identify which solution(s) youll invest in to automate user provisioning. There are a number of identity and access management (IAM) solutions that IT teams employ for user provisioning, chief among them being Microsoft Active Directory (AD). In the case of AD, the most straightforward way to do this is to seek a universal identity bridge to federate AD identities to Mac and Linux systems, web apps, and other resources that are not natively supported.

Alternatively, you can seek a comprehensive cloud identity provider that has these capabilities baked into it natively, which is a good route for organizations that are looking to reduce their on-premises infrastructure and move toward the cloud. Either way, youll want to keep in mind the suite of resources (systems, applications, networks, and files) in your organization as (Read more...)

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ROI of Automated User Provisioning - Security Boulevard

Coronavirus Shows That Fears About Automation Are Overblown – The National Interest Online

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The coronavirus pandemic might spur lots of companies to think harder about automation. For instance: Not only might more commerce be online, but more of the future workers in those warehouses and fulfillment centers might be robots. Thats tomorrow, however, not today. If anything, this outbreak has undercut the idea that somehow we are on the verge of a job apocalypse. As journalist Matt Simon writes inWired:

This economic catastrophe is blowing up the myth of the worker robot and AI takeover. Weve been led to believe that a new wave of automation is here, made possible by smarter AI and more sophisticated robots. The problem will get so bad, argue folks like former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, well need a universal basic income to support our displaced human workers. Yet our economy still craters without human workers, because the machines are far, far away from matching our intelligence and dexterity.

Yet little has changed for the folks who touted UBI as a key response to the impending robot takeover. They see all that federal cash being deposited in our accounts as a sort of proto-UBI that will get more Americans comfortable with the notion of Washington regularly sending them a check. Still, we should spare a moment to remember their original thesis: The machines are coming for us.

Then again, maybe not. Some of the most interesting work being done on the true employment threat posed by modern automation is being done by Boston Universitys James Bessen. And one of the big takeaways from his research is that automation tends to eliminate some of the tasks that constitute a particular job, but not all them. Rarely are entire jobs automated away, although they might change a lot. And even the jobs that disappear might experience an extremely long decline. This from a late 2019analysisco-written by Bessen:

Consider what happened to the 271 detailed occupations used in the 1950 Census by 2010 (Bessen 2016). Many occupations were eliminated for a variety of reasons, but few of these were automated away. In many cases, demand for the occupational services declined (e.g., boardinghouse keepers); in some cases, demand declined because of technological obsolescence (e.g., telegraph operators). This, however, is not the same as automation. In only one caseelevator operatorscan the decline and disappearance of an occupation be largely attributed to automation. Nevertheless, this 60-year period witnessed extensive automation, but it was almost entirely partial automation.

Indeed, when examining companies today in the Netherlands, Bessen finds that automating firms tend to grow employment faster than other firms, both before and after the automation event although it is entirely possible that [employment] does not rise as fast as it would have otherwise. And there was pain for workers at the companies that had an automating event. Again from the study:

We study the impact of automation on incumbent workers, those workers who were employed at their firm for three or more years before the automation event. Over the five years following automation, these workers lose, on average, about 11% of one years earnings or, in absolute terms, 3,800 euros. These losses could arise from lower wages or from spells of non-employment. In fact, the daily wage rate does not change for these workers. These workers do not appear to experience reduced wage rates either if they stay at their firm or if they move. The lost earnings come from spells of non-employment attributed to automation. These total 18 days per worker on average (for both leavers and stayers) over five years.

Relatedly, we see an increase in the share of incumbent workers who leave their firms attributable to automation, although we do not know whether these workers were laid off or left of their own choice. During the year of the automation event, about 2% more of the incumbent workers leave by comparison to the control group. Over five years, the cumulative separations is less than 13%. The separations following automation appear to occur as a trickle rather than as a mass layoff. These separating workers are offset by new hires at the firm, although it appears that the new hires do not fully offset the separations during the first years after the automation. However, our focus here is on the impact on incumbent workers regardless whether they are replaced or not. And the evidence shows a significant, although not overwhelming, loss of income and days worked.

In other words, the employment effects are disruptive rather than apocalyptic. The policy challenge is about helping workers transition to new jobs or industries, not permanent unemployment: [Policy] measures might include re-training, relocation assistance, and temporary income support. On the other hand, existing policies that discourage or hamper worker transitions, such as employee noncompete agreements, could be viewed as problematic.

This article first appeared at the American Enterprise Institute.

Image: Reuters.

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Coronavirus Shows That Fears About Automation Are Overblown - The National Interest Online

Global Irrigation Automation Industry (2020 to 2025) – Featuring Netafim, Lindsay and Valmont Industries Among Others – ResearchAndMarkets.com – Yahoo…

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The "Irrigation Automation Market by System (Automatic, Semi-automatic), Irrigation Type (Sprinkler, Drip, Surface), Automation Type, Component, End-Use (Agricultural, Non-agricultural), and Region - Global Forecast to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global irrigation automation market size is estimated to account for a value of USD 2.8 billion in 2020 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 18.5% from 2020 to reach a value of USD 6.7 billion by 2025.

The demand for irrigation automation is increasing due to the shifting trend towards mechanization of agricultural processes and increased instances of water scarcity globally. The cost factor is one of the key factors that hamper its adoption among small land-holding farmers in the Asia-pacific region.

The automatic segment, by the system, is projected to be the fastest-growing segment in the irrigation automation market during the forecast period

The less availability of labor and continuous change of weather patterns are some of the major factors for the adoption of fully automatic irrigation systems. Farmers rely on fully automatic systems and change the irrigation pattern on the basis of real-time weather. Even for residential watering, owners are adopting fully automatic irrigation systems to control the watering remotely.

By irrigation type, the drip irrigation segment is projected to be the fastest-growing segment in the irrigation automation market during the forecast period

Across regions, the most common type of irrigation systems to be used is drip irrigation systems, except in some parts of Asia Pacific like Japan and China where high water demanding crops like rice is sown. The life span for drip irrigation systems is almost ten years which makes it a durable system for watering the crops. Also, drip irrigation systems do not account for water wastage in terms of evaporation and field run-off, therefore, it is considered as the most efficient means of irrigation.

By automation type, the time-based automation system is projected to dominate the irrigation automation market during the forecast period

One of the major advantages associated with the adoption of a time-based system is that farmers can reduce the labor cost associated with the irrigation process. Conventional irrigation systems made use of manual labor and a high amount of fuel at unequal intervals of time, which led to crop losses; hence, time-based irrigation automation systems are a convenient option.

Market Dynamics

Drivers

Restraints

Opportunities

Challenges

Companies Profiled

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/mauda4

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200424005441/en/

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Global Irrigation Automation Industry (2020 to 2025) - Featuring Netafim, Lindsay and Valmont Industries Among Others - ResearchAndMarkets.com - Yahoo...

Defense is Embracing Robotic Process Automation But It’s Not Yet Scaling It – Nextgov

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Defense agencies deploying robotic process automation are hitting technical and cultural issues as they explore scaling the tools across the enterprise.

There are a few agencies, I think, that have some pretty robust RPA implementations. The challenge Ive seen in terms of scale is that we need to solve for a shared services model before we're able to accomplish the kind of scaling weve seen like in the commercial industry, Rachael Martin, a Joint Artificial Intelligence Center mission chief who focuses on improving business processes through AI and automation, said during a webinar held by the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology.

Martin and the other panelists offered a glimpse into various RPA efforts at play inside the agency and considered why it might take some time for the emerging techs deployments to be unleashed at scale.

RPA is, in simple terms, a software robot that's programmed to execute tasks or series of tasks, and mimic human behavior, explained Eric Hansen, a retired Army intelligence officer and director of Defense and Intelligence Programs at Blue Prism. The tech is facilitated, he said, to speak machine to machine through APIs, and machine to human through user interfaces.

Martin added that RPA bots are essentially digital assistants and inherently are really just software.

There's this assumption that people are going to be opposed to RPA, because, oh it's going to take their job or, you know, they won't be useful, Martin said. But in every case where I've had my team go out to work with one of our partner offices to brief them on what RPA is ... once [Defense officials] understand that it's basically going to take over doing all of the really unfun things that nobody likes spending time on, theyre really 100% OK with having RPA.

Martin said the relatively new technologys early use has been driven by necessity for work that makes sense to automate, such as tasks across financial management, human resources, contracting and acquisition. While most of Defenses technology adoption begins in the mission space, Hansen pointed out that the adoption of RPA started in administrative offices.

Just recently, we're starting to see some forays into the mission areas built primarily in data entry and data movement using RPA to move data across legacy systems or pulling data out of like email ... into some legacy systems, Hansen said. So it'll be interesting to watch the migration from sort of back office, into more mission spaces.

Steve Holtis a partner at automation company Invoke Public Sector, which recently started working with Defense. He said some of the initial use cases are around creating flight authorizations, as well as some air and ground space planning and maintenance operations.

We see those being able to scale really well. And the key that we see to scale is deploying it where it's autonomous and it's in a cloud infrastructure, Holt said. So building up that infrastructure was really key for us to be able to prepare for that scale.

But beyond that, the panelists said the department must confront certain barriers to see the industry equivalent of RPA scaling across the enterprise. And one of the top issues is security: Insiders must address how to secure a digital worker that is not human.

It's a mindset change for the [agency] to think about how we can secure the digital workers, which are more controllable than people in general, but it's just not the way that [Defense] has worked over the past hundreds of years, Holt said.

Hansen added that more recently, officials are beginning to recognize the emergence of non-person entities after they ran into some really, really silly problems.

If you go to get a digital worker a password and user ID for a system, and that system forces you to check male or female, you know, which do you check? It is a digital worker, Hansen said. It sounds incredibly, incredibly silly that you would be slowed down by such a consideration. But agencies aren't used to thisthey're not used to digital workers. So I agree 100% that changing that mindset is important.

All the panelists agreed that cloud infrastructures will be key for more advanced automation down the road. Martin said one of the main issues she found as she reached out across the agencys partner offices is that agencies have different levels of cloud infrastructure and capabilities to host the software.

We're finding that people are defaulting to desktop applications because it's easier than having to go through the whole process of standing up cloud infrastructure to host the software, Martin said. I think in the long-term that is going to be what prevents us from scaling.

Some agencies are open to sharing services and letting other offices use their infrastructure to really harness RPA, but Martin said going forward the department needs to firm up what that model looks like.

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Defense is Embracing Robotic Process Automation But It's Not Yet Scaling It - Nextgov

The first mistake: Confusing cool automation with useful automation – Biometric Update

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Much has been written about the Japanese hotel company that, five years ago, began assembling a staff roster that was ultimately to be 90 percent robots and biometrics. Much of it misses the point when it comes to understanding why the idea has failed.

Initial reports were wide-eyed with the novelty of the 140-room Henn na Hotel in Nagasaki, reportedly staffed with 243 autonomous and semi-autonomous systems. But very soon after its debut in 2015, sentiment about the concept along with the companys plans to create a chain of nine robot-served hotels went south, though the Henn na remains in business.

A recent article in the online publication Raconteur recounts how, indeed, early human staff levels quickly fell as digital systems shouldered existing and novel operational roles cleaning, concierge, voice assistance, check in and check out and amusement (robotic lobby dancers).

More specifically, there is a robotic arm that takes and stores bags for guests, and face scans have replaced room keys.

The flashiest exhibitions of at least semi-autonomous systems are in the lobby. Two cartoony velociraptors and a mechanical woman stand by to guide guests as they arrive and depart. They respond to some commands and questions in a few languages.

At the opening, it seemed that hotel owner Hideo Sawadas vision of an almost entirely robotic staff might be remotely possible.

All the boilerplate talking points in favor of automation were true. Automation was less expensive than human workers, robot never took sick leave, and the rest.

But Sawadas dream was already dying within a month of the Henn nas opening. Headcount bumped back up just to manage ongoing aggravating and sometimes embarrassing mechanical breakdowns and frequent software problems and upgrades. Some notable systems underperformed (and continue to do so).

YouTube hosts a number of vacation videos illustrating how the facilitys in-room voice assistant underwhelms consumers who use superior versions from Amazon, Apple and Google and Microsoft in their homes.

The Raconteur article notes that more than half of the hotels 243 autonomous systems and automatons were scrapped last year.

There are a lot of factors that stunted Sawadas ambition.

For example, the front-desk robotics are clumsy (the dinosaurs), commute in from the uncanny valley (the rubbery android) or simply do not have the compute power to handle more than simple conversations and tasks (both species).

But the fundament flaw is that Sawada confused cool automation with useful automation.

Useful: an automated cleaning fleet that, by all accounts, performs up to expectations.

Useful: a facial recognition system that has replaced room keys.

Borderline useful: Chu-ri-chan, the voice assistant, which seems only to suffer from being underpowered.

Cool: Dim-witted talking dinosaurs at the front desk that look like they escaped a Chuck E. Cheese.

Much more can be considered about robotic lobby dancers, but suffice it to say that when applying artificial intelligence, biometrics and robotics to a business problem, make sure the business problem exists.

What troupe of live, over-paid, lazy lobby dancers in the world is feeling threatened by developments at the Henn na?

access management | artificial intelligence | biometrics | facial recognition | hospitality | Japan | robots

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The first mistake: Confusing cool automation with useful automation - Biometric Update