COVID-19: Please Don’t Take the Kids to the Beach
It’s tempting to violate “Safer at Home” orders in L.A. County and take the kids to open beaches in Orange and Ventura counties. Yes, we know — we all need fresh air and sunshine, and when the weather warms up, the beach beckons. But here’s why it’s a bad idea — a very bad idea — to seek space from safe-distance and safety guidelines and head for crowded recreation areas:
- Every day, new cases of COVID-19 are growing, bringing the count in late April to over 20,400. More than 940 people have died of the virus in L.A. County.
- Cases of COVID-19 are now doubling every nine days, and deaths are doubling every eight days.
- Staying at home, physical distancing and wearing a mask every time you leave the house are fact-based measures to limit the spread of coronavirus, stay safe and help keep vulnerable people safe from infection and possible death.
- Last weekend, 50,000 Angelenos crossed county lines to go to the beach elsewhere, then returned home. Exposure to the virus is at a far higher risk when physical distancing is not observed.
According to the L.A. County Department of Public Health, it is important that people do not congregate outside in groups during the pandemic. Taking a walk, jogging or sitting outside in your yard with your children will help lessen risks and decrease new coronavirus cases — and deaths. If we all do our part, we can help defeat this disease.
