Oceanside and Coronado open beaches in San Diego County
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OCEANSIDE — Oceanside on Monday announced a limited reopening of its beaches for surfing, swimming and exercising but is still excluding sunbathing, group activities and recreational boating, except kayaking and paddleboarding.
The city’s fishing pier, beach amphitheater and beach parking lots will remain closed to prevent people from gathering in groups, and the Strand, a short street at the edge of beach, is closed to vehicles except for residents who need to access their homes.
City officials said the decision to allow some activities was a response to the county’s announcement Friday that it would open all San Diego County coastal waterways to surfing, swimming and paddle sports. The cities and the state parks department, however, control the individual beaches, and some, including Carlsbad, Solana Beach and Del Mar, chose to remain closed.
Coronado opened beaches on Monday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Like Imperial Beach, Coronado’s beaches are open only for limited use. People can surf, swim, walk, jog, paddleboard and kayak. They cannot lie or sit on the sand or gather in groups.
San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer announces the reopening of neighborhood parks amid the coronavirus outbreak. Beaches may follow soon.
Sunset Park and Dog Beach, two popular areas of the north side of Coronado’s beach, will remain closed.
Mayor Richard Bailey said those places would remain close because people in the past had not followed social distancing requirements there:
“Coronado’s Dog Beach and the nearby fire pits, as well as Sunset Park, will remain closed due to the difficulty visitors have had in adhering to social distancing requirements and the risk that places on public safety officials.”
Parking remains restricted along the beach, including on both sides of Ocean Boulevard.
Solana Beach announced in an email Sunday night that it was working with other jurisdictions to reopen its beaches the week of May 4, which was the target date a majority of cities had discussed together before the county’s announcement.
“It is important to note that the statewide stay-at-home order remains in effect,” states the Solana Beach email. “People should continue to leave their homes for only essential needs including groceries, medicine and healthcare.”
The state guidelines also allow people to go outside for exercise and fresh air.
Diehl writes for the San Diego Union Tribune.
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