Beaches in San Diego Set to Reopen Tuesday As Theme Parks Eye Reopen Dates

The COVID-19 toll in San Diego County has reached nearly 7,500 cases, along with almost 270 deaths, as officials continue to ease restrictions throughout the region.

Public health officials reported 96 COVID-19 cases and no new deaths in the county on Sunday, bringing the county totals to 7,481 cases and 269 deaths.

As a result of numbers trending in the right direction, Chairman of the County Board of Supervisors Greg Cox said the county would allow beaches across the county to open for passive recreation and would allow individual jurisdictions to decide whether they wanted to open the beaches for those purposes as well.

A few restrictions remain, however, as the county still has a ban on team sports such as football and volleyball. Additionally, beach parking lots and piers remain closed. Reopening of boardwalks is up to each coastal city, and as always, social distancing and facial coverings are the rule when near people who aren't a member of the household.

Representatives from SeaWorld San Diego, Legoland California, the U.S.S. Midway Museum and other large tourist attractions had a phone meeting last week with San Diego County officials to seek permission to reopen by July 1.

The theme parks, which also include the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park and the SeaWorld-owned Aquatica water park, are taking steps to open during Stage 3 of Gov. Gavin Newsom's four-stage plan, and while the meeting with county officials was private, the parks announced they officially asked the state for the right to reopen.

Their plan calls for temperature and wellness checks for employees, masks for everyone entering the parks, reduced capacity inside the parks, plastic shields at food stations, a six-foot separation for entry and ride lines and regularly disinfecting common touch-points.

All of the theme parks shut down mid-March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also, Cox and County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said they plan to ask the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to extend its moratorium on evictions for both residents and small businesses for another month.

The proposal would extend the eviction moratorium through June 30th. The current moratorium expired Sunday and the extension would apply only to unincorporated areas of the county. `` Although more businesses are reopening, it is going to take time for merchants and their employees who have been out of work to rebuild their bank accounts enough to pay their rent,'' the supervisors said. ``(The moratorium) will give residential and commercial renters more time to get back on their feet. But we are encouraging renters to pay as much rent as they can and set-up a payment program with their landlords.''

The San Diego City Council voted on May 19 to extend the city's moratorium on commercial and residential evictions until June 30th.

Story Source: CNS


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