2 Newport Beach Lifeguards Positive For COVID-19; Beaches To Be Closed July 4th
NEWPORT BEACH (CBSLA) — Two Newport Beach lifeguards have tested positive for COVID-19, prompting an emergency meeting Wednesday where city officials voted to shut down its beaches this holiday weekend.
City officials were alerted Wednesday that two seasonal lifeguards had tested positive, and everyone exposed has been referred for testing and quarantine, according to Newport Beach spokesman John Pope. A total of 21 lifeguards are in quarantine.
Newport Beach Mayor Will O'Neill called for an emergency meeting at 2 p.m. to discuss the idea of closing the beaches on the peak beach day of July 4, and possibly before and after the holiday at the discretion of the city manager. The City Council approved the closure, which will shut down Newport Beach's beaches at 10 p.m. Friday and reopen them at 6 a.m. Sunday.
California has seen an alarming spike in COVID-19 infections since Memorial Day, and Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered the indoor operations of restaurants, movie theaters and other sectors in 19 counties to close immediately. Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and Laguna Beach, have already announced they would close their beaches this holiday weekend.