Newport Beach has voted to keep its beaches open despite criticism by California’s governor that weekend crowds threatened efforts to slow the coronavirus. The City Council voted Tuesday to reject a motion to close the beaches for the next three weekends, although the famous Wedge surfing spot is shut down. The vote during a virtual meeting came after 80,000 people hit shores in the Orange County city last weekend when the first heat wave of the year sent temperatures soaring. Lifeguards said most people appeared to be obeying social distancing rules by maintaining distance between groups.
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Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
People sit on the beach Sunday, April 26, 2020, in Huntington Beach, Calif. A lingering heat wave lured people to California beaches, rivers and trails again Sunday, prompting warnings from officials that defiance of stay-at-home orders could reverse progress and bring the coronavirus surging back. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Posted at 8:04 PM, Apr 28, 2020
and last updated 2020-04-29 01:05:46-04
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