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By Miriam Raftery
April 30, 2020 (San Diego) – Starting tomorrow, a new county health order eases many restrictions on recreational facilities. Specifically:
- All county parks will be reopened, with 50% parking capacity for social distancing.
- Members of the same household can picnic or participate in sports or other activities in parks, but gatherings are still prohibited.
- Recreational boating can resume at local lakes, bays and the ocean, however passengers must be in the same household.
- Golf courses can also reopen, but golf carts are not allowed. Courses must provide physical distancing and conduct temperature screenings on all golfers.
The county allowed beaches to open earlier this week for swimming surfing, kayaking and solo paddling as well as walking and jogging, however beach parking lots remain closed and beachgoers are not allowed to place items on the sand. The Governor has issued an order allowing beaches statewide in California to stay open, except Orange County, where beaches were ordered closed due to violations of health orders banning crowds/gatherings and social distancing.
Cities may have their own restrictions on parks and beaches, so you should check the rules before visiting.Local tribes have not yet announced when golf courses on their reservations may reopen, so call for updates.
The revised health order also requires everyone to wear a face covering when in public, and within six feet of people not in the same household, or anytime when entering a business or riding public transit. See more details and exceptions.
“As San Diego County residents, you have done a great job over the past six weeks,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., County public health officer, after explaining that the County is easing some of the restrictions because the region has met four of the five federal criteria and state recommendations for reopening.
“If we see a trend going in the wrong direction because people are not following the recommended guidelines, we can dial back the Health Officer Order,” Wooten said, adding that her order has been extended until further notice and to align with the state.
The total COVID-19 cases in San Diego County increased to 3,564 after an additional 132 cases were reported yesterday.
Four more COVID-19 deaths have been reported on April 27 and 28, bringing the region’s total to 124. The latest victims, all men, ranged in age from 55 to 88. Four men died – one on April 27 and three on April 28. Their ages range from 55 to 88 years. Three had underlying medical conditions and the 55-year-old did not.
Currently there are 47 active outbreaks at group living facilities such as nursing homes. These facilities have had 69 deaths and 865 cases locally to date.
The Live Well Bus will be in Southeastern San Diego on Saturday to provide COVID-19 testing from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Euclid Medical Center, 292 Euclid Ave. Advance appointments through calling 2-1-1 are required, and will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Individuals calling for an appointment should be prepared to provide their doctor’s office information. Those without a doctor will be connected to one.
The County’s COVID-19 webpage contains additional information on the disease, including a graph showing new positive cases and total cases reported by date. The data is also broken down by gender, race and ethnic/race group. An interactive dashboard with several COVID-19 indicators is being updated daily.
For more information, visit coronavirus-sd.com.
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