It was on their minds, but COVID-19 didn’t keep lots of people from hitting the beach for the long holiday weekend.

Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer, and Saturday on Clearwater Beach, there were plenty of umbrellas and canopies shielding families from the sun.

They were also keeping groups apart, which is exactly what the Centers for Disease Control is still very much recommending.

“I was telling my wife earlier – we looked down the beach, and everybody is six feet away. So, to me, l think we’re all good,” beachgoer Dave Yzermans said.

Others were taking more of a casual approach.

“As far as corona, we just kind of take it one day at a time and deal with it as it comes,” beachgoer Taylor Shockley said.

And, while many people were not wearing masks while lounging on the sand, one group of University of Tampa students were a noticeable minority.

They say covering their faces has just become a way of life.

“I think we should wear them. If it keeps us safe, we should wear them,” Brooke Beyma said.