SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Different San Diego County mayors joined forces to announce "a coordinated, safe and regional plan for the eventual re-opening of local beaches and bays," according to Gustavo Portela, the Press Secretary for the City of San Diego.
San Diego Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer, Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear, Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina, Carlsbad Mayor Matt Hall, and San Diego Lifeguard Division Chief James Gartland hosted a media conference on Wednesday. You can watch it all here.
“It's a public safety-focused plan for the region’s beaches,” said Faulconer.
Blakespear said lifeguards from 11 different communities met to plan the safe, eventual reopening. Gartland said seasonal lifeguards are currently assisting government agencies in other areas while the beaches are closed
“The best trained, ocean lifeguards in the world [are] in San Diego County,” said Dedina.
The working plan does not have a specific timeline for when the beaches can safely reopen.
“The plan is about the 'how.' It’s not about the 'when'," said Gartland.
"The plan aims to enable access to beaches when public health officials determine the appropriate time, while still maintaining mandated levels of public health and safety in accordance with state and county orders," said Portela.
The San Diego Regional Aquatic Lifesaving Emergency Response Taskforce approved the two-phase plan unanimously on Tuesday.
Once county public health officials say it's safe to do so, the two-part plan will go into effect:
1). Limited access phase: Restore lifeguard staffing to prepare for safe reopening, open beaches bays and shorelines for walking and running, prohibit gatherings like sitting or standing on the beach, and keep boardwalks/parking lots closed.
2). Second phase: Open beaches to all water activities and open bays to fishing, swimming, and paddling, but only if there are approved protocols for safe social distancing. Facial coverings may be required if county public health officials say so.
"We're going to do this in a way where we offer safe access to the beach and the water,” said Faulconer.
"Cities and agencies will be ready to implement this regional plan when the county has enough data related to COVID-19 cases to substantiate modifying the public health order," said Portela.
The City of San Diego said that the California Department of State Parks and Recreation, San Diego Unified Port District and County of San Diego have been working closely with the mayors and their city managers on this reopening effort.
“We all agree that the approach must be data-driven, be informed by public health officials, and not be guided by politics or emotions, said Hall.
This news comes after some protesters in Encinitas on Sunday called for beaches to reopen. The public Facebook group, Free Encinitas, put the event message out last week and asked for the community to come out in support.
Crista Curtis organized the demonstration, which included many people eager for beaches to reopen.
"It’s time to start opening the beaches back up," said Curtis.
All 280 of California's state parks are closed, including nine state beach areas in San Diego County. On April 10, the CDC released guidelines on beach safety during the pandemic.
RELATED: San Diego beaches are now closed
Overall, county and city leaders urged the public to continue staying home so they can flatten the curve and eventually return to the beach.
“Hold on," said Gartland. "We are almost there.”