Memorial Day marks the symbolic start of summer with its barbecues, outdoor gatherings with friends and trips to the beach. But this weekend, with the novel coronavirus still spreading throughout the United States, most beaches have issued social distancing restrictions and capacity limits, a sort of middle ground to allow people to venture out while still trying to mitigate the virus’s spread.

The risk is not about the beach itself but about the gatherings, health experts say.

“Going to an uncrowded beach with your social cohort or ‘quaranteam’ can be a safe and fun experience,” Dr. Daniel Griffin, an infectious diseases specialist at Columbia University, said “The challenge is limiting the number of people on the beach so social distancing can be done.”