LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – Fourth of July revelers have been advised to stay away from Los Angeles County beaches as coronavirus cases skyrocket.
The temporary closures affects all beaches, piers, parking lots, beach bike paths, and beach access points beginning on Friday at 12:01 a.m., and lasting through 5 a.m. on Monday, L.A. County officials announced.
Fireworks displays are also off-limits over the weekend in an effort to prevent gathering.
Gov. Gavin Newsom says he’s prepared to impose targeted shutdowns of counties or businesses. Newsom’s remarks came a day after he mandated bars close in seven counties.
The county Sheriff’s Department said it would enforce parking closures and help with traffic along Pacific Coast Highway within its jurisdiction. But deputies won’t be keeping people off beaches or enforcing social distancing.
“As we have done since the beginning of the pandemic, we will continue seeking voluntary compliance and educating the public,” Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez said in an email.
L.A. County reached a concerning milestone on Monday with another 2,903 coronavirus cases, the highest ever reported in the county, and 22 new deaths. There are now 100,772 confirmed coronavirus cases across the county.
“We had almost 3,000 reported cases just today. We cannot risk having crowds at the beach this holiday weekend,” Hahn said on Twitter.
The new order makes it illegal to trespass at these beach locations and is punishable by law to include, but not limited to a $1,000 fine, officials from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lost Hills station said.
