Seal Beach and Huntington Beach officials are following other Orange and Los Angeles county cities in closing beaches for the busy Fourth of July holiday.
The Seal Beach City Council, citing concerns about holiday crowds spreading the coronavirus, voted Wednesday, July 1, on the following:
- Effective Friday, July 3, at 6:00 p.m., all beach parking lots (1st, 8th and 10th streets) will be closed.
- Effective Friday, July 3, at 10:00 p.m., all Seal Beach beaches, the Pier, pier restrooms, tot lot playground, volleyball courts, and other beach amenities will also beclosed.
- These areas are scheduled to reopen on Sunday, July 5, at sunrise. However, if it is believed the reopening will be detrimental to the health of the community, city officials may decide to keep those areas closed until further notice.
Warm weather and holiday celebrations draw large crowds, which reduces the ability to maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet, officials said, and could increase the likelihood of spreading the virus.
“We know that people want to celebrate Independence Day and enjoy the nice weather at the beach and pier,” said Seal Beach Mayor Schelly Sustarsic in a statement. “Regrettably, this year we will all have to make personal sacrifices to help keep the entire community safe. This was a tough decision made by the council but we believe it is done in the best interest of the community.”
Other areas of the city will remain open, including city parks, the San Gabriel River Bike Trail and green spaces.
The Seal Beach Police Department will continue to patrol these areas, and those who do not comply with the order will be cited, the release said.
Huntington Beach city officials voted Wednesday night to shut down city beaches on the Fourth, with an option for the city manager to also close them on Friday and Sunday if needed.
“The biggest goal isn’t to be punitive and shut the beaches down, but it’s a recognition of the fact that we’ve seen a spike in the number of positive cases,” said Huntington Beach councilwoman Barbara Delgleize.
Huntington Beach battled Gov. Gavin Newsom when he ordered beaches closed the last time, with the city suing Newsom but losing in court. But the recent spike in numbers was something to be concerned about, council members said.
“It feels like déjà vu all over again,” said Councilman Mike Posey. “Here we are considering closing beaches again, it seems like it’s better reason now than it was then.”
The move follows closures announced in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Ventura, Laguna Beach and Newport Beach.
Newsom announced that State Parks beaches in Orange County will shut down parking lots, but Los Angeles state-operated beaches would fully close to mirror county beaches. With the new closures announced Wednesday in Orange County, the state may opt to do further shut downs of State Parks beaches in Orange County.
Officials overseeing county-operated beaches, San Clemente and Dana Point have not yet announced beach restrictions for the Fourth of July holiday.
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Seal Beach, Huntington Beach to close beaches, parking lots and piers on Fourth of July - OCRegister
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