Surf's down in California: Governor will close beaches

[brooklynite]

Source: AP News

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Gavin Newsom will order all beaches and state parks closed starting Friday after people thronged the seashore during a sweltering weekend despite his social distancing order that aims to slow the spread of the coronavirus, according to a memo sent to police chiefs around the state.

Eric Nuñez, president of the California Police Chiefs Association, said it was sent to the group’s members Wednesday evening so they have time to plan ahead of Newsom’s expected announcement Thursday.

A message to the governor’s office seeking comment wasn’t immediately returned. The memo was first reported by the Los Angeles TV station Fox 11.

While most state parks and many local beaches, trails and parks have been closed for weeks, Newsom’s order is sure to ignite pushback from communities who argue that they can safely provide some relief to residents who are starved of fresh air.

Read more: https://apnews.com/2903c0c62f97116e9ef6f5425ad0a7ac

[StarryNite]

1. Good

[RobinA]

2. Not So Good

They're going to have to give people something or lose total control. Open some stuff where the risk is less and leave things where the risk is greater closed. Harm reduction.

[Blues Heron]

4. why not take a walk around the neighborhood?

Are people going to riot if they can't go to there favorite snowflake beach? Doubt it. Sit down, stay home, wear a mask and we can end this. That's it. These spreaders are so lame. They're putting people in mortal danger. So selfish it's mind boggling.

[RobinA]

21. I Don't Know

why not take a walk around the neighborhood. I'm talking about dealing with people the way they are not how they should be according to whoever is trying to force them to do something. Calling them names isn't going to change them. People aren't going to riot, they just won't obey the rules and once enough people decide they've had enough the quarantine game is over. That's why I'm saying harm reduction, not force. It buys more time. Prohibition.doesn't.work.

[Richard D]

3. Not good, especially the trails

Many of us rely on daily hiking to stay healthy and not get ill. I'd rather risk COVID-19 than heart disease and physical deterioration.

[Blues Heron]

5. spreading it is a different story - it's not just you at risk

why not take a walk around the neighborhood?

[Rae]

6. Not everyone lives in a walkable area

Why is it OK to walk in your neighborhood but not in a state park? What's the difference?

[Richard D]

8. Damn good question.

There's a lot more people in the neighborhood than on the trails.

[Blues Heron]

9. fewer people, no driving, no mingling in the parking lot, on the narrow trail. etc etc etc

everything's walkable right now with 90% less traffic out there.

[Rae]

11. Lol, OK. My neighborhood is packed

People walking, mingling with neighbors as they stop to chat, kids on bikes and skateboards, playing in their yards right next to the street...

I would be safer in a state park. So you have to drive there. So what? I'm the only one in my car. I didn't know that traffic reduction was a goal of social distancing.

[lark]

22. People don't crowd neighborhood streets, they do beaches.

People can easily walk on both sides of the street and be well socially distanced, trails are not as wide and it's impossible to socially distance on them. I know you know that and are just frustrated, but it's all about safety. The beaches are open here, but it absolutely isn't safe and they are not enforcing the no stopping rule or the social distance, only the hours. People are sunbathing, building castles, chilling under pavilions, all of course without any masks, and NOT socially distancing - it is not safe.

[Richard D]

7. There's far more walking around the neighborhood . . .

. . . Than on the mountain trails. I hike early in the morning and just after sunset. If I see one other person, it's a lot. Most of my danger of spreading or catching is happening walking through the neighborhood on the way to the trail.

[Blues Heron]

10. right but then people see you out there and think Hey GREAT idea lets get out there!

This is about everybody working for the common good, not you sneaking off to your special place.

[Rae]

12. You still haven't explained why

walking in your neighborhood is fine, but walking on a remote trail isn't.

[Blues Heron]

14. because those trails are becoming so popular its a problem

they're narrow, people aren't using masks, they congregate up at the overlook, they congregate at the trailhead etc etc etc.

[Rae]

15. Worse than Walmart?

Or your local grocery store? I doubt that.

I have no interest in arguing. We'll just disagree on this.

[KPN]

17. I would say yes from my experience. See my post 16 below.

It really depends on the trail and configuration of access to it, parking and trail heads. Based on what I've seen, yeah it's as bad as WalMart in many locations. What has worked to alleviate the crowding is closing vehicle access and parking. That doesn't mean those opportunities are no longer available, but they do require more effort to use them -- ergo fewer people and no crowding (effective social distancing).

To me, that's the right and only safe solution.

[lark]

23. This is about walking in a neighborhood vs. parks, not parks vs. Walmart.

Obviously that's very different - recreation/exercise vs. shopping for things you need. Seems like you will just do what you want regardless of the impact.

[Rae]

24. That's not true at all.

I follow my state guidelines, and if the parks and beaches are closed, I won't go. I thought we were just raising questions and offering our opinions. I mean, that's still allowed, right?

The individuals making these decisions that affect us all on a very personal level are human. Are you saying we should just blindly agree with everything they do, regardless of how much sense it makes to us? Does that also apply to states like SC and FL? What makes sense to you may not make sense to me. I do question authority, and I would imagine we all do at one time or another.

Good talk.

[lark]

25. Questioning authority is the Democratic way, questioning science not so much.

I don't follow what my state says because I live in No FL, 30 miles from the GA line. Neither of these governors are following science, just hurting the lower wage working class and small businesses on purpose. Our hospitals are hanging in there, but are stressed right now and with the opening, I am very afraid of what will happen and will not be participating until I see how the numbers go and how our hospitals are doing. Don't trust either state to not lie about the #'s, but the hospitals' situation is what will be telling.

I was just concerned you might be considering some risky behaviors. Good to know that's not true.

[LanternWaste]

30. I dig how consistently you keep moving your own goalposts on this one.

[GoneOffShore]

13. No you wouldn't. You'd best read some descriptions of the havoc that Covid-19 wreaks

[KPN]

16. While this seems a bit harsh, seeing what happened here in southern coastal Oregon -- a pretty

darned remote area -- early in the "shelter-at-home" stage, I support closing the beaches.

When beach access (federal and State) was not immediately physically closed, the parking areas were filled -- not just with local vehicles but people coming from out-of-town and vehicles even from out-of-State.

My wife and I live within a 6-7 minute drive to what is ordinarily on a weekday an almost empty beach that we take our dogs to walk on almost daily. When in mid-March shortly after Oregon's shelter in place was put into effect we showed up to a parking area that was jam packed with vehicles and people all over the place, we were shocked and immediately turned around and left. No way we were going to risk exposure to people from all over who knows where.

Within a few days both the federal and State agencies erected barriers preventing vehicle access to beach parking areas and even roads accessing beaches. Yeah, it has changed our daily routine, but based on the numbers of people we saw early on, it was the right decision. We can still get to the beach in some locations, but it is a lot more effort. We have to walk a fairly far distance and there are few people if any when we get there.

If we want to beat this thing, we all need to make sacrifices.

[FirstLight]

20. I agree...

I live in remote rural N Cal Sierras, and all the Forest Service and State parks are closed...but this weekend we saw TONS of cars lining the highway and visitors from all over ...even though ElDorado county has a Non-essestial travel ban to keep people from coming here. NV Highway Patrol ended up giving out like almost 70 tickets in a one hour timeframe Sunday)

I understand people are bored and stuck at home and the heat makes you want to go somewhere cooler...BUT there's ONE hospital here that has 68 beds and only 5 of those are ICU.
So these people go home and get sick where there's more hospitals etc, and the 20K people that live here year round are screwn.

Fact of the matter is that humans cannot see something and they will not really feel the cause effect unless it is in their own living room...even then denial is a powerful mental force..

This virus moves slowly, it doubles fast but the take off has up to a two week liftoff.

Humans can't recall from one day to the next what they touched where they ate etc..Contact with those other people means nothing to them. It was just a gas station attendant or a server.

[Dustlawyer]

18. Texas beaches make California's look empty.

Watch for an explosion of cases here. Or not since they are not doing much testing.

[SpankMe]

19. I don't want to throw lives overboard, but...

...a part of me would like to see a few beaches open, and then follow the spread of the disease afterward. If the data looks good, then that informs a more assertive "opening-up" protocol.

But, if the data shows an outbreak, then that would be the rationale to continue the isolation order.

[lark]

26. As an intellectual exercise, I can see the logic.

In normal times with normal bugs, this would be interesting. Unfortunately this bug is a killer and we know far too little about it at this time, one of the major things that make it so scary.

[BigmanPigman]

27. GOOD!

I haven't been isolating for my health alone but for OTHER PEOPLE too! That is what this is all about. If you can not be a responsible member of a society then go away. Life is about compromise, learning to live together in a way that benefits all. GROW UP! This is a "100 year-in the-making" disaster and responsible citizens will be asked to do more now than they ever have in their lives. Selfish people who harm others by their behavior have no part in a society that wants to survive the disaster and thrive once again. Aren't we Dems? Don't we care about "the people" OR are we selfish, irresponsible ME, ME, ME Repubs?!?

[DeminPennswoods]

28. We don't really have any beaches here

in PA except bordering Lake Erie, but Gov Wolf has re-opened private camp grounds, golf courses and parks. He is actually encouraging people to get outdoors!

[AntiFascist]

29. The order got changed to only include Orange County beaches...

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/30/848672491/governor-temporarily-closes-all-beaches-and-state-parks-in-orange-county-califor

while LA County beaches remain closed. Too many people from LA and elsewhere were crowding Orange County beaches last weekend.

[ripcord]

31. The Orange County sheriff has said he will not enforce the order

https://www.turnto23.com/news/coronavirus/california-sheriffs-respond-to-governors-order-to-close-beaches

Since Governor Gavin Newsom announced he wanted to close California beaches amid COVID-19, sheriffs in several counties have responded that they will not enforce the closures.

Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes released a statement saying the governor's decision to "single out Orange County" beaches was "wrong and fails to recognize the secrifices made" by the residents of O.C. Barnes continued to say that beachgoers over the weekend "acted responsibly" and law enforcement "was able to address instances of unsafe activity."

Barnes said his intention is to not take enforcement action on this order. The Huntington Beach City Council voted Thursday to seek an injunction against the beach closures.