Santa Cruz County beaches will reopen on Friday, public health officials announced Thursday. The beaches had been closed during the day for nearly two months to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The change was spurred in part by the public’s unwillingness to adhere to the previous restrictions, which made it illegal to be on a beach between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., said Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel.
“We had hoped to continue the beach closure until after Fourth of July weekend, but it’s become impossible for law enforcement to continue to enforce that closure,” said Newel in a Thursday press conference.
Mandates for wearing face masks in public and observing social distancing protocols are still in place, including on beaches.
The county’s shelter-in-place orders are currently set to expire on July 6, after which the county will align itself with statewide orders, said Newel.
â Monica Lam (@monicazlam)
Copyright 2020 KQED