Police at a California beach town handed out a $1,000 citation to a surfer who violated closure orders Saturday in light of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the country.
Manhattan Beach Police Sgt. Mike Sistoni told the Los Angeles Times the unnamed surfer ignored warnings from police and lifeguards and waded into the surf, board in hand.
“Everybody else was in compliance,” Sistoni said. “People have been pretty good about it.”
Trails, beaches, and parks have been closed down by a host of state and local measures as authorities attempt to stop the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.
And while Manhattan Beach may not have experienced a surge, some public areas did. Police cruised the entrance to a popular trail at Thousand Oaks, where hundreds of hikers came on Saturday. An LAPD helicopter warned sakers at a skate park to leave immediately or be “arrested for trespassing.”
California State Parks, which had left some parks open to vehicular traffic, said Sunday it was closing all parks after facilities that remained open “once again experienced visitation surges that made it impossible for the public to implement appropriate social/physical distancing practices.”
The California Department of Public Health said on Friday that the state had 4,643 cases of coronavirus, with 101 deaths. The San Francisco Chronicle said Sunday that the total number of cases was nearing 6,000.
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