Starting Monday, Laguna beaches will reopen weekday mornings from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m for “active use only.” They will remain closed over the weekends.

The decision was made by Laguna Beach City Council on Tuesday, April 28th with the intent for locals to use the beach for swimming, surfing, and other physical activities – no loitering or sunbathing is allowed.

In Newport Beach, the City Council voted to keep the beaches open while adding extra enforcement and education. Additional police officers will be present to ensure groups of people are not gathering on the streets or beaches while lifeguards and fire staff will be on the sand to provide social distancing education.

So whats the intent behind Laguna Beach and Newport Beach’s decisions? It’s to provide access to its residents who have the beach as their backyard – not for tourism or sunbathing. Newport Beach Councilmember O’Neill pointed out that are close to 12,000 people who live on the Balboa Peninsula and that those people would have no place to recreate outdoors if Newport Beaches were closed.

The City of Newport Beach plans to put more signs on the roads leading to its beaches to remind non-locals that beach parking is closed and to stay home.