City of Monterey announces partial beach closures over warm weekend

MONTEREY, Calif. (KION) The City of Monterey has announced partial beach closures and reduced parking over the warm weekend.

Saturday and Sunday, the following restrictions will be in place:

• San Carlos and McAbee beaches will be open for ocean activities only. Sunbathing, lounging and group activities are not allowed.
• Monterey Municipal Beach and the sand at Monterey State Beach will be open, but the city said police and lifeguards will enforce physical distancing.
• Parking will be reduced at the Waterfront parking lot near Fisherman's Wharf due to anticipated crowds.

There are currently heat advisories and excessive heat warnings in effect around the Central Coast, Central Valley and Bay Area, so the city expects crowding at the beaches. The restrictions are an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

In Carmel, Saturday, beachgoers were flocking to the shores by the hundreds, if not thousands.

Many Carmel residents expressed frustration, saying they were concerned about the large crowds.

"Most of the people on the beach do not have masks, almost all the people leaving the beach do not have masks but nobody's enforcing the rule so nobody's obeying the rule," says Carmel resident Lee Caplin.

Others said they wanted the city to step in and take action.

Carmel Mayor Dave Potter said the city will have to consider other alternatives if large crowds continue to be seen.

"We're going to close the beach because it's just not possible to control these kinds of crowds the way we want to," says Mayor Potter.

Mayor Potter say beach behavior will be monitored and citations will be given out to anyone lounging on the beach or not wearing a face cover.