California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in an April 30 press briefing that the state would be forcing Orange County beaches to temporarily shut down, after approximately 40,000 people attended those beaches over the weekend.
The closure will start May 1 and doesn’t have a set end date. Newsom said he felt the closures were necessary because the “the images we saw on a few of our beaches were disturbing.”
“My job as governor is to keep you safe,” he added.
Newsom said he hoped the closures are “a very short-term adjustment.”
On April 29, FOX 11 Los Angeles reporter Bill Melugin unearthed a memo sent to police chiefs across the state stating all state and local beaches would be closed.
BREAKING: A source has provided me with this bulletin that will be sent out to all California police chiefs notifying them that tomorrow, Governor Newsom will announce the closure of ALL beaches and state parks effective May 1st in response to recent beach crowds in OC . @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/RG53HhmySf
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) April 30, 2020
Newsom distanced himself from the memo during the April 30 press briefing. “That memo never got to me,” he said. “Those doing good work, we want to reward that good work and behavior … that’s where I’ve been the entire time.”
However, Los Angeles Times reporter John Myers tweeted that sources told him “statewide action was imminent — contrary to the way [Newsom] now portrays it.”
Newsom says, as sources have confirmed, that his admin reached out to stakeholders on Wednesday to discuss beach closures. But talking to some familiar with that discussion, many believed a statewide action was imminent — contrary to the way he now portrays it.
— John Myers (@johnmyers) April 30, 2020
Also on April 30, the Newport Beach Police Department released photos from the weekend and said in a statement that “the vast majority of beach goers [were] practicing social distancing. There were, in places, some clusters of people that were not social distancing.”
#Beaches: @NewportBeachPD release 2 photos taken at 2:30pm on Saturday afternoon saying: “What we observed from land & by air was the vast majority of beach goers practicing social distancing. There were, in places, some clusters of people that were not social distancing. @NBCLA pic.twitter.com/oZ7SsUj8fS
— Mekahlo Medina (@MekahloNBCLA) April 30, 2020
Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner said in an April 29 statement that he disagreed with Newsom’s decision.
“Medical professionals tell us the importance of fresh air and sunlight in fighting infectious diseases, including mental health benefits,” the statement read. “Moreover, Orange County citizens have been cooperative with California state and county restrictions thus far. I fear that this overreaction from the state will undermine that cooperative attitude and our collective efforts to fight this disease, based on the best medical information.”
Please read my statement on the closure of Orange County beaches by @GavinNewsom. pic.twitter.com/blo7h3GoVl
— Supervisor Don Wagner (@DonWagnerCA) April 30, 2020
The Los Angeles Police Department tweeted on April 30 that city beaches remain closed.
As a reminder, beaches in the City of Los Angeles remain closed.
The @MayorOfLA’s ‘Safer at Home’ order remains in effect. https://t.co/6ziXLdl5Ug pic.twitter.com/eQEe6HzOBF
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) April 30, 2020
As of this writing, there are 46,500 confirmed COVID-19 cases in California and 1,887 deaths from the virus in the state.
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