SAN DIEGO — The sun was out, and the weather was incredible on Saturday, but San Diego beaches remain closed. This is the first full weekend of beach closures in the city of San Diego. This comes after four lifeguards tested positive for coronavirus.
Lifeguards say beachgoers must stay away as they continue to enforce the closure. San Diego Lifeguard Chief, James Gartland said people are doing what they are supposed to, and it is a good thing.
Gartland went on to say, “We are patrolling, and we are making the contact. We have slowly built up signage over the last few days and now more barriers are in place.”
Ever since access to the ocean and boardwalks was closed earlier in the week, San Diegans did not take the coronavirus lightly. Many still want to surf and exercise on the sand. Chief Gartland being one of them. “I want to surf, I am a local surfer, I want to get out there, it's just not the time for that," said Gartland.
Recently, four lifeguards tested positive for the virus. All four are recovering at home with mild symptoms. All four worked different beaches, two of them stationed in North Pacific Beach. Many more lifeguards were tested, and Chief Gartland says those results came back negative.
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"Protect your first responders because if you go out there, somebody has to make a contact with you whether that is SDPD, lifeguards or a park ranger, and even fire. You're putting all those people at risk, so it's not just yourself,” he said.
Each closed beach parking lot had security enforcing the rules as violators could receive a citation and face a misdemeanor charge.
"You can get up to a $1000 fine and up to six months in jail, this is serious we are taking it seriously,” Gartland said.