City of Santa Monica implements LA County Order by closing Santa Monica Beach, Bike Path, Ocean Front Walk, Palisades Park and Beach Access Points

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – This afternoon, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health ordered the temporary closure of all public beaches, beach bike paths, public trails, and beach access points to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The LA County order requires the immediate closure of:

Santa Monica Beach

Santa Monica’s Beach Bike Path

Ocean Front Walk

Santa Monica’s Community and Cultural Services Director directed the temporary closure of Palisades Park effective midnight, Friday, March 27 throughFriday, May 15, 2020, due to the park’s proximity to the beach to support the County’s Order.

“Santa Monicans cherish our walks on our beach, but we are complying with County Health recommendations to protect all of us and our families from preventable exposure to illness,” said Mayor Kevin McKeown. “The beach is a regional resource, and we’re all part of the regional effort to flatten the curve of COVID-19. We can still get our exercise and fresh air while avoiding congregating in crowds and maintaining six feet of physical distance. Otherwise, we’re all safer at home.”

Though the County order allows for citation, Santa Monica will continue to focus on education this weekend and encourage the public to follow the Safer at Home orders, which are focused on community health.

The County’s Public Health Order reads: “The County of Los Angeles and its Department of Public Health observed an unusually high volume of beach and trail users on March 21 and 22, which seriously impeded the beach and trail users' practice of safe and necessary social distancing measures. This heavy amount of beach and trail use by numerous groups of people does not allow for safe social distancing, and therefore seriously impedes community efforts to stem the local transmission of COVID-19. Accordingly, this Order is necessary to both enforce social distancing measures and stem the spread of COVID-19 within the community.”

This order is effective immediately, beginning today, March 27, 2020, through May 15, 2020.

For information on COVID-19 in Santa Monica, visit www.santamonica.gov/coronavirus or call the Santa Monica coronavirus hotline: (310) 458-8400. Get Santa Monica emergency alerts by texting SMCOVID to 888-777. Sign up for daily COVID-19 updates at www.santamonica.gov/newsletter.

County Order >

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