Malibu Beach Reopenings Even More Distant, New OC Cases Set Record 3 Days After Big Beach Crowds
Written by 991KBU on May 1, 2020
Going to be some drama at some of the beaches of Orange County.
Dana Beach … Newport Beach and Huntington Beach are saying they will sue the governor … over his order yesterday that closed all beaches in Orange County.
This comes after Orange County reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases ver in one day … perhaps coincidentally four days after a huge beach crowd.
Over the weekend, thousands flocked to Orange County beaches, which remain open even though Los Angeles County beaches are closed.
Photos and video showed most observing social distancing … but also … large groups of people.
And despite the beaches being open … there is a statewide stay at home order in effect.
The governor says he won’t close the beaches in San Diego or Ventura counties.
He says
75577 NEWSOME OC ORDER
“Specific issues on some of those beaches have raised alarm bells,”
“People that are congregating there, that weren’t practicing physical distancing, that may go back to their community outside of Orange County and may not even know that they contracted the disease and now they put other people at risk, put our hospital system at risk.”
Lyn Semeta … mayor of Huntington Beach … told NBC4 that’s not fair.
NEWSCART 75579 LYN SEMETA
“This is this is surf city …
“I mean … our identity is very much tied up in our beaches.
“Our residents enjoy our beaches…
“I feel it is in overreach constitutionally …
“I really don’t feel this is something our governor should be doing.”
The mayor of Huntington Beach… Speaking in interview with NBC4.
Micheal Gates … the HB city attorney … told CBS2
NEWSCART 75578 MICHAEL GATES
“We’re going to be fighting the order on a constitutional basis.
“We’re fighting for the city. “We’re fighting for our decision-makers locally with a good job locally managing this crisis, and we’re also fighting for the citizens of Huntington Beach
“The governor’s decision to single out Orange County by closing our beaches is wrong and fails to recognize the sacrifices made by our 3 million residents.”
Micheal Gates … the HB city attorney … in an interview with CBS2.
Newsom says the Orange County beaches would be reopened soon if the situation improves.
“We want to work very closely with local elected officials, and we’re committed to doing that if we can get some framework and guidelines to get this right. We can reopen very, very quickly but … we’ve got to make sure we get this right,” Newsom said.
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Orange County public health officials yesterday reported the largest single-day increase since the pandemic began …
21 hundred 45 new cases.
The increases coincide with a dramatic rise in testing … as well as the big beach crowds last week.
And while the governor is concerned about the possibility of open beaches spreading the disease … no epidemiological study has yet connected the big beach crowd with the surging number of people with the disease.
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So .. sweeping down the coast.
City of Ventura beaches open … but no parking.
Same story in Oxnard.
But the county beaches and Port Hueneme beach are open.
Beaches at Point Mugu State Park closed … but non state park beaches near Mugu are open.
All L-A County beaches closed.
Beaches in OC all closed … officially.
