California city considers shutting down beaches on weekends after seeing crowds
Newport Beach city officials are expected to hold a special meeting Tuesday to consider shutting down beaches for the next few weekends.
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- Newport Beach city officials are expected to hold a special meeting Tuesday to consider shutting down beaches for the next few weekends.
With the majority of Orange County beaches open, tens of thousands of people headed to the coast to cool off as temperatures soared this weekend.
In Newport Beach, the massive crowds that filled the sand have city officials now considering a temporary shutdown of the beach.
The city council on Tuesday is expected to talk about closing the beach and possibly several access roads over the next three weekends. The council will consider closing the beaches on the first three Saturdays and Sundays of the month of May (May 2 and 3, May 9 and 10, May 16 and 17.)
Other agenda items that will be considered during the meeting include developing an ad hoc city council committee to guide the reopening of business in the city and adopting a resolution in support of the county's reopening and recovery plan.
In Huntington Beach, signs were posted warning beachgoers to practice physical distancing and lifeguards were out patrolling, urging those who may be too close to spread out. Loudspeakers off the pier also announced reminders every hour.
Heat wave draws tens of thousands to southern California beaches
The Huntington Beach Fire Department even took to the air to get a better sense of the spacing, praising visitors for following the rules.
"The beach was crowded, but a majority of people at the beach, it looked like to us, were practicing social distancing and enjoying our open space areas," said Battalion Chief Eric McCoy said.
Huntington Beach officials say they know beach access is a hotly debated issue in the battle against the coronavirus.
"For every comment or suggestion that we get that we need to close the beach, we're getting the same comment from people asking us 'Please don't close the beach, please don't close our open space areas,'" McCoy said.
Meanwhile, Seal Beach and Laguna Beach have closed their beaches.
