With another hot weekend on tap, more beaches as well as other outdoor space will be open this weekend than in previous weeks.
But officials stressed social distancing rules still apply.
Many beaches in Orange, Ventura and San Diego counties are now open. Gov. Gavin Newsom closed Orange County beaches last week but most were reopened this week.
Many Orange County beaches are open for active recreation — think running, walking, biking, swimming and surfing — rather than sitting around and soaking up the sun. Beachgoers also must maintain physical distancing and avoid gatherings with people they do not live with.
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Many beach parking lots remain closed, however.
Here is when city-run beaches are open:
- Dana Point — Dana Cove is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, as is Doheny State Beach.
- Huntington Beach — Every day from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Laguna Beach — Weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m.
- Newport Beach — Daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- San Clemente — Seven days a week with no announced hours
- Seal Beach — Monday through Thursday during daylight hours
State-operated beaches in Orange County began reopening Wednesday, as well, “with measures in place to protect public health,” officials said.
Orange County beaches in South Laguna will begin a phased reopening after state officials approved the county’s plan to restore public access.
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The California Natural Resources Agency announced Thursday in a press release that the county’s plan was consistent with the statewide stay-at-home order. The county was initially targeted by Newsom, who called for a “hard close” of the county’s beaches. The county closed all its beaches May 1.
The limited reopening affects all county beaches, which reopened Thursday.
Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, who oversees south Orange County cities such as Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, said in a statement that she was pleased with the “alternative to a complete shutdown.”
Parking lots at beaches and public amenities will remain closed.
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“This phased approach allows us to reopen our beaches in a prudent, responsible manner that prioritizes public health and safety, while recognizing the importance of outdoor recreation,” Bartlett said. “We want Orange County residents to get back to fully enjoying their beaches as safely and quickly as possible.”
L.A. County beaches are still closed. But officials say they may reopen beaches as early as Wednesday morning with a range of restrictions, including closed parking lots, piers and boardwalks. Those limits are to be gradually lifted in phases, and details are still to be determined by county public health officials.
Los Angeles County officials will reopen trails and golf courses with restrictions Saturday morning. Face coverings will be required in parking lots and on trails, and at some locations, vest-wearing park monitors will keep an eye out for compliance. Some city trails are also reopened this weekend,
A small group of protests came to Huntington Beach on Friday to push a pro-social distancing message.
Aaron McCall said the three-person counter-protest in Pier Plaza, put on by the left-leaning group Indivisible OC 48, was put together to bring attention to all of the people who are following Newsom’s stay-at-home orders during the pandemic.
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Spencer Kelly of Huntington Beach wore a Grim Reaper costume, holding a scythe and a sign that read, “Brought to you by the OC Board of Supervisors.” On the other side, it read, “Stay home, wear masks, save lives.”
Jody Kyle of Huntington Beach displayed various other tombstone-shaped signs, holding one that facetiously said, “My rights are more important than your life.”
Other signs read, “My son went to the protest but I got COVID-19,” and, “I thought COVID-19 was a hoax.”
