LA beaches to remain open over hot holiday weekend
PLAYA DEL REY, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 22: A sign advising social distancing due to COVID-19 at "The Road To Love Festival" electronic music beach party on August 22, 2020 in Playa del Rey, California. (Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles County health officials made a final plea for residents to celebrate the Labor Day holiday safely and without large parties or gatherings, while also reporting another 47 coronavirus-related deaths.
The county also confirmed that beaches will remain open over the holiday weekend, despite concerns about large crowds that might flock to the
sand to escape the heat wave expected to bake the Southland through Monday.
But officials with the county Department of Beaches and Harbors warned
that health restrictions remain in place, meaning beachgoers must practice
social distancing and wear face coverings when not in the water, eating or
drinking.
And if crowds get too large and people aren't adhering to the guidelines, the beaches could be cleared.
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"We cannot stress enough the importance of following the public health guidelines,'' Beaches and Harbor Director Gary Jones said in a statement. "It is absolutely imperative that beachgoers avoid crowds. If the beaches get too crowded, we may be forced to close them again.''
County officials are hoping to avoid a repeat of coronavirus setbacks experienced following the Memorial Day and Fourth of July holidays, which led
to dramatic spikes in virus cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
All three of those metrics have been trending downward in recent weeks in the county, and health officials have been making pleas for the past two weeks that residents avoid Labor Day parties or gatherings with people outside their own households.
SANTA MONICA, CA - AUG. 15, 2020.: Beachgoers create a forest of umbrellas as thousands seek refuge in Santa Monica with temperatures reaching triple digits and beyond in inland valleys and deserts on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2020. A heatwave caused by a h
"I believe it is possible to celebrate Labor Day without repeating our (past) failures if everyone understands how much depends on individual actions we each will take,'' public health director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement.
"Please have fun without exposing others or yourself to COVID-19. This is not the time or the place for parties or gatherings. We will all win if we each do our part.''
The 47 new deaths reported by the county Department of Public Health,
along with four more announced by the Long Beach health agency, increased the countywide death toll since the start of the pandemic to 5,981.
The county also announced 1,439 new confirmed coronavirus cases, while
Long Beach announced 37 more cases and Pasadena added 13. The mulative
number of cases countywide stood at 246,457 as of Friday.
The number of people hospitalized in the county continued its steady decline, dropping below the 1,000 mark to reach 992. County officials noted that figure is a 50% drop from the early August totals that topped 2,000.