Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to close Orange County beaches to slow the spread of the coronavirus faces a test this weekend, and could have an impact on other Southern California shores.
Newsom closed the beaches over the objections of Orange County officials after crowds hit the sand last weekend.
Temperatures will be cooler this weekend, but officials are bracing for more visitors. And it remains unclear how aggressively the closure will be enforced.
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Alicia Cruz, center, of Elk Grove, Calif., takes part in a protest at the California State Capitol. She said she was there to protect civil liberties, her children’s future and future livelihoods.
(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
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A protester holds a U.S. flag outside his car while joining a rally at the intersection of Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to reopen beaches and lift stay-at-home orders.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Gareth Davies of Aliso Viejo waves the U.S. flag in Huntington Beach while protesting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s closure of Orange County beaches.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Huntington Beach lifeguards patrol with a boat to try to clear surfers out of the water while protesters rallied nearby.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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An aerial view of surfers in the waters off Huntington Beach on Friday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Mounted police line up to keep protesters on the sidewalk at the intersection of Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Motorists join the protesters at the intersection of Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Hundreds of protesters rally at the intersection of Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Protesters rally at the intersection of Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Mounted police line up to keep protesters on the sidewalk at the intersection of Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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California Highway Patrol officers take into custody a woman who refused to follow orders to move off the Capitol grounds during a protest Friday.
(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
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More than 1,500 people took part in a protest at the Capitol in Sacramento, seeking a reopening of the California economy.
(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
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California Highway Patrol officers take into custody a woman who refused to follow orders to move off the state Capitol grounds in Sacramento during a protest Friday.
(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
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Hundreds of protesters gather at the state Capitol in Sacramento to protest Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
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Protesters converge on Huntington Beach on Friday to demand stay-at-home rules be lifted.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Protesters at Huntington Beach on Friday demand stay-at-home rules be lifted.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Protesters demand that California’s stay-at-home rules be lifted at Huntington Beach on Friday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Hundreds of people converge in downtown Los Angeles to call on California Gov. Gavin Newsom to lift stay-at-home orders and reopen the state economy, saying the coronavirus lockdown has hurt workers.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles)
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A proponent of opening the economy as quickly as possible, right, gets into a verbal altercation with a counterprotester at Los Angeles City Hall.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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A protester calling for the end of stay-at-home restrictions, left, argues with a counterprotester outside L.A. City Hall.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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A Los Angeles police officer stands outside City Hall on Friday as protesters call on the city and state governments to lift stay-at-home orders.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Protesters demanding that stay-at-home rules be lifted gather outside L.A. City Hall on Friday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Protesters call for the end of coronavirus stay-at-home orders outside City Hall in downtown Los Angeles.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Protesters in downtown Los Angeles call for the end of stay-at-home orders.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Protesters demanding the end of the coronavirus lockdown wave flags in downtown Los Angeles.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Hundreds of people converge in downtown Los Angeles to demand the reopening of the California economy.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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A protester walks into the water in Hermosa Beach following a rally voicing their disagreement with California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s closure of beaches. The residents were joined by about 100 people in chanting to “open the beach,” and then a march to the sand and eventually water, near the Hermosa Beach Pier.
(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles County beaches are closed, but many in San Diego and Ventura counties remain open. Some leaders worry that the Orange County closure could send more beachgoers their way.
Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey expressed concerns that the beach ban in Orange County could affect San Diego.
“I’m definitely pleased that the state isn’t taking a heavy-handed approach with our county,” he said, “but I am disappointed that they are shutting down beaches in Orange County because that might create some compression and have a spillover effect on our beaches.”
Orange County
Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said his department did not plan to cite people simply getting out for beach exercise. He said most beachgoers have acted responsibly.
“As long as people are social distancing and doing what they’re expected to do, the sheriff does not have interest in criminalizing people enjoying the beach,” department spokeswoman Carrie Braun said.
Newport Beach will increase its police presence on the beach and roll out barricades and electronic signs to make sure people are aware of the closure, officials said. The Huntington Beach Police Department also said its officers were seeking “voluntary compliance” from the public.
Legal battles are brewing in Orange County, where city leaders in Dana Point and Huntington Beach voted during emergency meetings Thursday night to approve filing for an injunction to block Newsom’s directive to close their beaches. The Newport Beach City Council plans to meet over the weekend to discuss legal options to challenge the closure.
On Friday afternoon, Orange County Superior Court Judge Nathan Scott rejected a request from Huntington Beach seeking a temporary restraining order to keep beaches open. He set a hearing for May 11 to consider the city’s request for an injunction.
San Diego County
“Thank you, San Diegans, for doing the right thing on our beaches,” San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said Thursday at a press event. “You’ve been a great example for not only California but the rest of the nation. Our continued success is in your hands. This weekend is going to be an important weekend for us to do the right thing.”
Lifeguards and police officers are expected to cite those in violation. Face coverings are required in public throughout the county.
San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit urged residents not to get complacent and specifically asked people to stop congregating at Sunset Cliffs, a popular spot to view bioluminescent phytoplankton visible in the surf.
“You will see quite a robust police presence tonight and throughout the weekend,” Nisleit said.
If San Diegans don’t follow the guidelines, state and county officials have the authority to close the beaches again, county Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said.
“We cannot lose our focus, and we cannot lose our commitment,” Fletcher said. “Any of the public health modifications that have been made can be dialed back in an instant, and that’s what we want to avoid.”
County officials also announced Thursday that families living together will be allowed to resume boating and recreating at local parks. While parking lots at beaches will remain closed, lots at local parks can now reopen at half capacity.
Oceanside Mayor Peter Weiss said Thursday he wasn’t too concerned about people showing up from out of town.
“The majority of San Diego County is open, so [beachgoers] are not likely to overrun any one place,” Weiss said.
However, Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear was not as optimistic. She said her city has already seen growing crowds at its recently reopened Moonlight Beach.
“We are having a problem with compliance day after day,” she said. “People are not following the guidelines. They’re bringing chairs, trying to hang out on the beaches.”
Los Angeles County
Beaches remain closed.
Ventura County
Ventura County and Ventura city beaches are open, with social-distancing requirements.
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 discourage sunbathing or any “stationary presence” on the sand. Its pier, restrooms, playground and street parking remain closed.
