Source: Gov. Newsom to announce closure of all beaches and state parks
LOS ANGELES - A source has provided FOX 11 investigative reporter Bill Melugin with a law enforcement bulletin that will be sent out to all California police chiefs notifying them that Gov. Newsom will announce Thursday that he is closing all beaches and state parks effective Friday, May 1st.
The decision comes after Newsom sharply criticized beachgoers in Orange County for crowding beaches by the thousands this past weekend.
"I laid out in very detailed terms yesterday, the strategy for California to make meaningful changes to our stay-at-home order,” said Governor Newsom during his daily news conference. "Orange County has the fourth-highest number of people of all 58 counties, hospitalized in the state of California. I’m concerned about that."
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"We wanted to give all of our members a heads up about this in order to provide time for you to plan for any situations you might expect as a result, knowing each community has its own dynamics," said, in part, the bulletin. "State Parks personnel will be out in to help support local efforts as well"
Read the bulletin here:
Orange County Supervisor Donald Wagner released the following statement in response to the governor's proposed actions:
"I believe Governor Newsom has the power to close Orange County beaches. However, it is not wise to do so. Medical professionals tell us the importance of fresh air and sunlight in fighting infectious diseases, including mental health benefits."
"Moreover, Orange County citizens have been cooperative with California state and county restrictions thus far. I fear that this overreaction from the state will undermine that cooperative attitude and our collective efforts to fight the disease, based on the best available medical information."
RELATED: The OC Board of Supervisors vote unanimously on safety guidelines required to reopen businesses
On Tuesday, the OC Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a set of safety guidelines that businesses would be required to adhere to if they expect to reopen once officials deem it safe to do so.
FOX 11 Digital Producer Oscar Flores contributed to this report