Laguna Beaches Close For July 4, State Beach Parking Closed

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Due to the rise of cases of the coronavirus and a growing concern across Orange County and the state of California, the City of Laguna Beach is closing city beaches over the July 4 holiday, they announced.

State-run parking facilities will be closed to parking, according to a statement from Gov. Gavin Newsom. It remains to be seen whether state-run beaches will remain open to active or recreational use.

On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom advised that parking will be closed at state-run parking facilities at state beaches in Southern California.

The City of Laguna Beach continues to monitor and adjust to changing conditions related to COVID-19, or coronavirus.

At Tuesday's Laguna Beach City Council unanimously voted to close all Laguna Beach City beaches on July 4 to help slow the spread of COVID-19. If necessary, the City Manager also the authority to close the beaches on July 3 and July 5 if it is determined those measures are needed to protect public health and safety.

Although many of our residents and visitors are wearing masks on beaches and practicing physical distancing, the anticipated increase in the number of people gathering on Laguna Beach City beaches over the upcoming 4th of July holiday may create more opportunities for community spread of the virus.

Effective as of 9 a.m. July 4:
 All Laguna Beach City beaches and their related access points will close to the public until 5:00 a.m. July 5, 2020.
 The City is placing closure signage at City beaches and accessways. For added safety, the Laguna Beach Police Department will increase monitoring and enforcement of these areas, and citations can be issued for violators.
 Basketball and volleyball courts at Main Beach remain closed, and all other City basketball and volleyball courts also remain closed.

"The decision to close City beaches on July 4 was not taken lightly by the City Council," said Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen. "Ultimately, the safety of our community and the public is our number one priority. On balance, we decided that taking a one-day timeout at the beach to reduce the crowds in the City made sense in the face of the increasing number of confirmed cases in the County and region. It is clear that we all need to do more to stop the spread of the virus, and I urge everyone to comply with the Governor's order to wear masks and maintain physical distance," Whalen said.

The situation is fluid, and information provided in this statement is subject to change.
For the latest information on City services and guidelines for local businesses, please go to the City of Newport Beach website.