Health & Fitness
Laguna Beach Seeks Newsom's Approval For Weekday Beach Opening
City council members OK'd a plan that would allow beaches to be used on weekday mornings, but city manager won't open until Newsom approves.
LAGUNA BEACH, CA —As local residents live with the reality of not being able to use Orange County beaches that were closed by order of Gov. Gavin Newsom Thursday, Laguna Beach city manager John Pietig plans to send the city’s plans to make beaches available to residents on a part-time basis to the governor’s office.
City beaches were already scheduled to be closed until Monday but city officials approved a plan this that would allow residents to use the beaches from 6 a.m.-10 a.m. on weekdays. Local beaches have been closed for six weeks as part of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
On Thursday, Newsom ordered a "hard close" on Orange County beaches following a weekend in which nearly 80,000 people flocked to the county's beaches. The Orange County Board of Supervisors called Newsome's order an "abuse of power.” On Thursday, however, Pietig said that he would send the city’s council-approved plan to Newsom for his approval. He said Thursday that local beaches would remain closed until the plan receives the governor’s approval.
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Newsom said Thursday that he hopes to reopen the beaches "very, very quickly" if "we can get this right."
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