California closes its beaches to all visitors

California governor Gavin Newsom ordered all beaches and state parks in Orange County to temporarily close, after images in the news showed crowds gathering on beaches violating the state’s physical distancing rules.

Beaches and all state parks in California will be closed, effective Friday, May 1.

Activity seen on only a few beaches threatened the progress California has made in battling coronavirus, the governor said Thursday.

“Specific issues on some of those beaches raised alarm bells,” Newsom said.

The vast majority of coastlines saw people following the statewide orders, he said.

But the “density, the volume of people, concentrated space, particularly in the … few coastal cities off and around Orange County area. Those were the point of particular concern.”