Starting Saturday, it’s going to become harder to visit beaches in Santa Cruz County.
The Santa Cruz County Public Health Department on Friday formally announced that it will restrict daytime hours at area beaches. No one will be allowed on the sand between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
On Friday, some beachgoers said they’re disappointed, but they are trying to focus on the fact that water-based activities, such as surfing and paddleboarding, will still be allowed.
“There’s a lot of us that find kind of our spirit and our soul at the beach, so to shut it down as a whole is definitely more of a health risk than the virus,” Ryan Althaus of Santa Cruz said.
At this point, the new restrictions will be in place indefinitely. Any change would have to come from the county’s health officer.
Law enforcement officials said they’ll be out to make sure people are following the rules.
