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Gov. Newsom Expected To Close Beaches Statewide
People gather on the beach north of Newport Beach Pier on Saturday. Too many people. (Michael Heiman/Getty Images)
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UPDATE: Gov. Newsom Closes Only Orange County Beaches
Governor Gavin Newsom is expected to announce today that he intends to close all beaches and state parks, starting Friday.
According to the Associated Press, the move was outlined in a memo sent to California's police chiefs and comes in the wake of a weekend that saw large crowds of people at open beaches, especially in Orange and Ventura counties.
This week, Newsom called out Newport Beach in particular for the large crowds that flocked to its coastline over the weekend, seeking relief from the heat and bit of pre-pandemic normalcy.
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"The only thing that will set us back is our behavior," the governor said on Monday. "That's the only thing that's going to slow down our ability to reopen this economy, our ability to adapt and modify this stay-at-home order."
On Tuesday night, the Newport Beach City Council voted to keep city beaches open.
In his daily media briefing Wednesday, Newsom said his office is working with state parks, the Coastal Commission and other agencies to "figure out what our next steps are," promising more clarity on the issue soon.
Going to REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT:
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) April 30, 2020
CA is flattening the curve because folks are staying home. Practicing physical distancing.
We aren’t out of the woods yet.
We must continue to take this seriously and allow our re-opening to be guided by science and public health.
Pablo Cabrerra and Ryan Fonseca contributed to this report.
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