By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
The beach bike path and Will Rogers State Beach parking lot marked some of the latest things to reopen in Pacific Palisades, following weeks of closure due to the novel coronavirus.
On Thursday, May 21, the county reopened its 22-mile bike path, which stretches from Pacific Palisades to Torrance, ahead of Memorial Day weekend. The path had remained closed—despite beaches opening the previous week for active use—to help combat large gatherings of people along the route.
“On this Memorial Day, as we join with those mourning the loss of their loved ones to COVID-19, including the families of the 1,100 veterans who recently passed away from COVID-19, we want to honor the memory of all the members of the armed forces who courageously gave of themselves to protect our country,” said Barbara Ferrer, county director of public health.
Ferrer addressed the “extraordinary effort” that will be required of LA residents to prevent outbreaks among workers and residents as the county prepares to reopen additional places and spaces.
“Please take care of each other by wearing a face covering, keeping your distance when around others not in your household, avoiding crowds, washing your hands often, and isolating when you are positive for COVID-19 or a close contact of someone who is positive,” Ferrer said.
LA County has reopened stores inside of enclosed shopping malls for curbside pickup, as well as some beach parking lots. The parking lot at Will Rogers State Beach reopened Friday, but only at partial capacity.
A representative from the Department of Beaches and Harbors shared that between 15 and 20 disaster service workers served as “Goodwill Ambassadors” at Will Rogers each day of the long weekend.
“These folks are government employees who volunteered their time to spend the day at the beach educating people on the new restrictions—stay active, no coolers or canopies, etc.” the representative explained.
Officials reminded beachgoers that face coverings were not mandatory when in the water.
Also approved on Friday, May 22, were car parades to allow for celebrations of graduations, birthdays or other occasions. The guidelines, however, require participants to be inside enclosed vehicles—no convertibles—and if windows are open, vehicle occupants must wear face coverings.
As the Post went to print Tuesday evening, a final decision whether Palisades Charter High School would be permitted to have a car parade as part of its end-of-the-year festivities was not confirmed.
The number of cases in LA County had reached 47,822 with 2,143 deaths on Tuesday evening. There were 50 positive cases in the Palisades, with three in the Highlands.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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