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.

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
and last updated
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
,
Weather
Sunday
07/06/2025
Sunny
98° / 70°
0%
Monday
07/07/2025
Sunny
101° / 68°
0%
Tuesday
07/08/2025
Sunny
100° / 68°
0%
Wednesday
07/09/2025
Sunny
98° / 70°
0%
Thursday
07/10/2025
Sunny
101° / 73°
0%
Friday
07/11/2025
Sunny
106° / 75°
0%
Saturday
07/12/2025
Sunny
105° / 75°
0%
Sunday
07/13/2025
Sunny
104° / 76°
0%