SACRAMENTO — After another day when residents flooded parks in seeming defiance of social-distancing recommendations, the state announced Sunday that it would close vehicle access at all 280 state parks in an attempt to thin the crowds.
Previously, the department had closed some of the most popular sites to parking and vehicular traffic after residents ordered to stay at home came to the parks in large numbers, defeating the purpose of the shelter-in-place in social-distancing orders Gov. Gavin Newsom has implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19. The department had also temporarily closed all campgrounds, museums and visitor centers and canceled all events.
But the governor’s office said in a statement that on Saturday, despite these measures, “many state parks once again experienced visitation surges that made it impossible for the public to implement appropriate social/ physical distancing practices.
“Protecting visitors and all who take care of state parks from the exposure to the pandemic disease is a top priority for the State of California,” the statement continued. “During this pandemic disease, every person has a role to play in slowing down the spread of COVID-19. Protecting individuals, families and communities comes down to common sense.”
State Parks officials will continue to monitor visitation and physical distancing at all state park units, and if the safety measures implemented so far are not sufficient to protect public health, “additional measures may be taken to fully close parks, including trails, bathrooms and other amenities,” the press release said.
The order by State Parks to close off vehicle access at all parks comes just a day after all 23 San Mateo County parks shut “until further notice,” and less than a week since the governor began a “soft closure” of many of the state’s most popular parks and beaches by restricting access to parking lots.The city of Santa Cruz made a similar announcement Friday with a focus on a crowded West Cliff Drive and other popular destinations.
The city of Santa Cruz closed the lots at Cowell Beach, Steamer Lane, Lighthouse Field and Lighthouse Point.
The city, turning its attention on the Westside, initially will shutter larger parking lots with lockable gates. City spokesman Ralph Dimarucut, however, has said additional parking restrictions also may be put in place to limit available spaces along West Cliff Drive in the future. Also, the city could look to fully closing the parks themselves, including trails, bathrooms and other amenities as needed, officials said.
The large crowds last weekend “made it impossible for the public to adhere to the state and county shelter-in-place orders and implement appropriate” 6-foot social distancing practices, according to a city press release.
The Sentinel contributed to this report.
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March 30, 2020 at 02:22AM
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Coronavirus: Officials close vehicle access at all California state parks - Santa Cruz Sentinel
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