Newport Beach now considering closing beaches due to weekend’s crowds

Newport Beach will consider targeted beach closures in response to the turnout during this weekend’s heat wave.

The City Council will meet Tuesday afternoon to discuss closing the beach over the next three weekends, or, alternatively, closing roads leading to popular spots on the Balboa Peninsula and in Corona del Mar to control large gatherings during the continuing coronavirus pandemic.

Cooped-up Californians took to the beach over the weekend as summery temperatures beckoned and statewide stay-at-home orders stretched past a month.

California is a shifting patchwork of locally controlled beach closures — notably, Los Angeles County beaches are closed but several in Orange County have stayed open. That includes Newport Beach, which closed its large, city-run beach parking lots, boardwalks and other coastal amenities starting in March but never closed its sand except for a stretch at the Wedge surfing spot.

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Despite coronavirus, many flock to Huntington and Newport beaches to beat the heat

As temperatures soared into the upper 80s in some parts of the region on Saturday, crossing county lines was like entering different worlds.

April 26, 2020

“While most of the beachgoers were practicing responsible social distancing, the volume of visitors generated significant neighborhood impacts and ran counter [to] guidance from California State Parks to ‘stay close to home when you get outdoors. This is not the time for a road trip to a destination park or beach,’” according to a city statement.

The council may also form a committee to guide the reopening of local businesses and vote to support a countywide reopening and recovery plan drawn up by the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

The meeting starts at 3 p.m. with the beach closure item and will be broadcast live on the city website and the NBTV cable television channel. To watch the meeting online or for information on how to participate remotely, visit newportbeachca.gov.

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