All California beaches and state parks are expected to temporarily close starting Friday in an attempt to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to announce the closures Thursday, according to Fox11, which obtained a law enforcement bulletin that is supposed to be sent to all California police chiefs notifying them of the closures. The new closures come after Orange County beaches were packed with thousands of people last weekend.
“After the well-publicized media coverage of overcrowded beaches this past weekend, in violation of Governor Newsom’s Shelter in Place Order, the Governor will be announcing tomorrow that ALL beaches and all state parks in California will be closed, effective Friday, May 1st,” the bulletin to police chiefs said.
“We wanted to give all of our members a heads up about this in order to provide time for you to plan for any situations you might expect as a result, knowing each community has its own dynamics.”
Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner said Newsom has the power to close beaches in Orange County, but does not believe it is a wise decision.
“Medical professionals tell us the importance of fresh air and sunlight in fighting infectious diseases, including mental health benefits,” Wagner said. “Moreover, Orange County citizens have been cooperative with California state and county restrictions thus far.”
Wagner called the governor’s decision an “overreaction from the state (that) will undermine that cooperative attitude and our collective efforts to fight the disease, based on the best available medical information.”
