Santa Monica Beaches Crowded on Labor Day
Will Rogers State Beach was filled with beachgoers escaping the heat on Sunday, September 6, 2020 in Santa Monica, Calif. People were seen mingling and cooling off over Labor Day weekend, despite the global pandemic. (Johaira Dilauro / The Corsair)
During an ongoing quarantine caused by a global pandemic that has taken the lives of roughly 190,000 Americans, and a record-breaking heatwave, people flocked to Santa Monica State Beach to celebrate Labor Day over the weekend.
A sea of umbrellas spanned across the beach. California’s COVID-19 positive case rates, hospitalizations, and deaths have been slowly declining, but local officials worried that gatherings over Labor Day weekend may cause a spike in cases, threatening the progress made.
“This weekend, we have a lot at stake,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti in a video posted to his Twitter account on Saturday, urging Los Angeles residents to avoid gatherings with anyone outside of their household. Gov. Gavin Newsom also made a plea to the public, tweeting “your actions this weekend can literally save lives.”
Raj Kapoor, a beachgoer on Sunday, came to Santa Monica all the way from San Francisco for a weekend getaway with his friends -- none of whom wore masks while walking down the path parallel to the beach.
“I’ve been wearing a mask when we’re coming into close contact with any stranger, mostly, but like walking out and about, I’m not afraid I’m going to catch it from some stranger,” Kapoor said.
Many visitors wore masks while walking around the pier and on nearby paths, but most sunbathers decided to forego wearing a mask. Face coverings are required for everyone over the age of 2 when not in the water. Beach visitors not wearing masks risk receiving a fine of $100 for a first-time violation, or up to $500 for repeat violations, for ignoring the statewide and Los Angeles County mask mandates.
All Los Angeles beaches remained open over Labor Day for ocean activities including sunbathing, fishing, and using the beach bike and pedestrian paths. Beach volleyball, bonfires, group sports, and gatherings of people from more than two households are still prohibited, according to the Los Angeles Department of Beaches and Harbors’ website.
The Santa Monica Pier also remained open and crowded all weekend, and its iconic Ferris wheel was lit up with a patriotic flag design during the evenings, from Friday through Monday. Meanwhile, all of the rides in Pacific Park remained closed, as they have been since March 15.
Southern California also experienced a deadly heatwave over the weekend, which led the National Weather Service to recommend that people “avoid outdoor activity.”
Trails in the Santa Monica Mountains were closed through Monday after a hiker died due to heat-related illness Saturday afternoon. Record-breaking temperatures were seen in different areas of L.A. with Woodland Hills hitting 121 degrees, now the highest temperature ever recorded in Los Angeles County, Burbank tying its all-time high of 114 degrees, and Van Nuys reaching 118 degrees.
