After Sydneysiders flocked to Bondi Beach on Saturday, several Sydney councils have decided that we can’t be trusted to adhere to social distancing recommendations and have instead closed many of the city’s iconic beaches.

Bondi, Bronte, Clovelly, Coogee, Maroubra and Tamarama beaches have all been cordoned off to prevent masses of people gathering.

The closures come after the federal government imposed a ban of outdoor gatherings larger than 500 people in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus. On Saturday, NSW Police Minister David Elliot reiterated that the ban also applied to beaches.

“Given the sunny weather forecast of 27 degrees for Sunday, it is highly likely that beach numbers will exceed the 500-person cap announced by the NSW Government today,” said Randwick Mayor Danny Said, who is in charge of Coogee Beach among others.

“The safest approach for everybody is for us not to open the beaches,” he said.

Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos, who oversees Bondi Beach among others, said that all of the council’s beaches will remain closed “until further notice.”

“We have only just found out about this announcement, and need time to work through how it translates to the practical day to day,” she said.

“If you’re from across wider Sydney and are thinking to coming to Bondi, I welcome you to visit our local businesses but please don’t plan on going to the beach as it is closed.”

This afternoon we closed Bondi, Tamarama and Bronte Beach in response to the NSW Police Minister David Elliot's announcement today that beaches across the state can only have a maximum of 500 people on the beach at any one time. Read more about it at https://t.co/dyOsv3ptMy pic.twitter.com/FMDXQvmtfK — Waverley Council (@WaverleyCouncil) March 21, 2020

Lifeguards at these beaches have been instructed to enforce the ban by their respective councils. Unpatrolled beaches including Malabar Beach, Little Bay Beach and the beaches around La Perouse are also closed and Randwick Council has urged people not to visit.

Meanwhile, Woolhara Council has also closed its harbour beaches and baths, including Camp Cove, Parsley Bay and Redleaf beaches.

There has been no formal announcement regarding Sydney’s Northern Beaches, but the message from the government is clear: don’t go.

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