Governor Newsom Folds Under Protest Pressures, Allows Orange County Beaches To Re-open

As reported by the LA Times this morning, Orange County shores from Seal Beach to San Clemente have been re-opened for public use…with certain restrictions. 

Specifically, the beaches are open for active-use only. That means walking, running, bicycle riding, swimming, surfing, and other ocean activities are allowed—laying spread eagle on the sand and getting Vitamin D’d down is not. 

From the LAT: 

“The City is very pleased to reopen our beaches for the physical and mental well-being of our residents,” Newport Beach Mayor, Will O’Neill, said in a prepared statement. “While the active recreation model was not the preferred choice by the City Council after discussions with our public safety personnel, we are confident that city staff will manage the beaches effectively under the approved plan.”

“We’re delighted to be reopening our beaches for active recreation, which will allow our community to once again enjoy the recreational and mental health benefits from spending time in the Pacific Ocean,” Huntington Beach Mayor Lyn Semeta said in a statement. “The new active recreation rules that we’re instituting will allow for continued beach access in a manner that emphasizes the need to practice safe social distancing.”

Whether the Huntington and San Clemente protests forced Governor Newsom’s hand, or if this decision came from some other relevant facts and figures, we can’t be sure. 

But hey, surf’s up you filthy pier rats!