Malibu Beaches Will Stay Open Labor Day Weekend

MALIBU, CA — Sweltering triple-digit weather, a three-day weekend, and open beaches – what could go wrong?

Unlike the July 4 weekend, Los Angeles County announced that its beaches would remain open over the three days of Labor Day, when temperatures are expected to rise to an unusual 105 degrees in Malibu. The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for coastal Ventura and Los Angeles counties that will last from Saturday through Sunday.

At a Wednesday briefing in Los Angeles, county Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis acknowledged that beaches may close if they get too crowded. Davis also encouraged people to stay home. But Davis did not say what exactly ‘too crowded’ means, but with almost everyone off work and sky-high temperatures, we may soon find out.

Beachgoers are still required to wear face masks when outside the water, gatherings from two or more households, beach volleyball, and bonfires are not allowed.

Deputy Morales with the Malibu-Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station said that all beach parking lots will be open this weekend. A team of 27 rangers from different departments will be monitoring the beach, and Morales said that they would enforce mask wearing on a “case to case basis.”

“If they’re close to other people, we’ll contact them,” he said.

Ventura County beaches will remain open as well, though with some restrictions. Oxnard has implemented a number of parking restrictions. Assistant Chief Eric S. Sonstegard with the Oxnard Police Department said that no parking will be allowed on either side of Harbor Boulevard, from Oceanaire Street to Falkirk Avenue, and Only residents will be permitted to park within the Neptune Square area.

Sonstegard also said in a written statement Thursday that no parking will allowed on Fifth Street east of Mandalay Beach Road, or on Mandalay Beach Road north of Channel Way.

LA County officials remained cautious, since the last wave of re-openings resulted in a skyrocketing of cases in late June and early July.

“Over the last few weeks, we have made slow but steady progress toward slowing the spread of COVID-19, but this is no time to let our guard down,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl said in a statement. “While I anticipate that our beautiful beaches will remain open for Labor Day, I urge people to wear a cloth face covering and practice physical distancing so that this holiday weekend doesn’t result in a setback of our progress.”