A beach in itself does not pose any heightened risk for COVID-19.

It’s what people do when they are there that can pose problems — mainly, being maskless and too physically close to others outside their quarantine squad, while on the sand or in the water.

Solution: seek out beaches that are not crowded, or anywhere close to crowded, or even on most people’s radar.

The more difficult it is to get to, the less populated the space will be. Take the North Meadows sandbar. It requires one mile of biking or walking to reach from the nearest parking lot. The other access point is by boat.

Once there, you’re rewarded with a spit of land, usually to yourself. There are herons and killdeer, and actual deer. Even when other people are there, you can manage to place at least 100 feet of distance in between.

There are trade offs, as with everything. You won’t find signs directing you to an access point. It’s not the ocean. There is no lifeguard on duty, ever.