Santa Barbara County is closing all beaches to the public for the 4th of July weekend.
The order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 3, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 5.
"The temporary closure of all beaches is necessary due to the anticipated high volume of people at our beaches during the July 4th weekend, which will impede the practice of safe and necessary social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Santa Barbara County," said County Health Officer Dr. Henning Ansorg. "The landscape for this upcoming weekend has changed in the past few days as more and more counties have decided to close their beaches. This raised significant concern for the impacts to our local community."
According to the order, people can still go surfing, swimming, kayaking, and participate in other water sports. They may also go running, walking, or cycling on the beach. However, sitting, lying, standing, sunbathing, sightseeing, picnicking, and other non-exercise related activities are prohibited.
Click here to read the full order.
Santa Barbara County has also mandated the closure of bars, indoor dining, movie theaters, and other related businesses following an order from Gov. Gavin Newsom that came in response to increased COVID-19 activity in 19 counties, including Santa Barbara.
