California Beaches Reopen, With a Catch

In Orange County, only weekday 'active use' allowed

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted May 6, 2020 4:50 PM CDT

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California Beaches Reopen, With a Catch — In this Friday, April 17, 2020 photo, Sarah Mason, from Covina, joins a crowd of people gathered at the corner of Main Street and Walnut Avenue in Huntington Beach, Calif., to protest the COVID-19 closures. .” (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

Residents of Orange County, California, have the green light to go back to the beach—but authorities don't want to see crowds of sunbathers. Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose administration faced protests and lawsuits over its decision last week to close the county's beaches, has reached a deal with cities for a gradual reopening, the Los Angeles Times reports. In Laguna City, people will be allowed to visit the beach between 6am and 10am Monday to Friday for "active use" only, meaning people will be allowed to walk, jog, swim, and surf, but not congregate.

Other cities have worked out similar plans to reopen in stages, starting with weekday beach use for exercise. "I think getting outside and getting exercise is critical to people
s well being," surfer Chad Nelsen tells the OC Register. "For a lot of people, that means walking the beach, paddling, surfing." (Protesters rocked parts of California last weekend.)

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