Monterey Bay communities coordinate joint beach closures for Labor Day weekend.

Fires. Heatwave. Pandemic. With that triple threat happening in California, it might be tempting for people living inland to think that a breezy, cool beach would be a nice escape over Labor Day weekend. The beach communities lining the entire Monterey Bay just announced two weeks ahead: think again.

For the first time, mayors, city managers, authorities from two counties and California State Parks combined forces to close beaches—only allowing access to the water—from Saturday, Sept. 5-Monday, Sept. 7, in an effort to slow the spread of Covid-19.

“We know that we must take action this Labor Day holiday to protect our residents, and help our communities get past the pandemic-caused shelter in place so we can all get back to work, school, and a more normal way of life," reads a statement from the city managers of Monterey, Pacific Grove, Carmel, Sand City, Capitola and Santa Cruz, as well as the State Parks superintendent and the county administrative officer for Santa Cruz County.

Talks among Monterey County cities about closing beaches were already underway a couple of weeks ago when Santa Cruz officials called about planning a regional effort, Monterey City Manager Hans Uslar told reporters in a briefing call on Thursday morning. 

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted yesterday to officially close its beaches over the holiday weekend. Uslar says he'll ask the Monterey City Council to approve the closure on Sept. 1. Other city managers will seek formal approval from their councils to make the multi-agency agreement official.

Uslar said Santa Cruz may consider opening beaches in the evening hours, but he believes different times "just lead to confusion and enforcement challenges." 

It's been a learning curve for officials all summer long dealing with an influx of people from other parts of the state each weekend who are looking for someplace outdoors, considered relatively safe to visit in the midst of the pandemic. (Also, some tourist attractions, like indoor dining, all bars and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, remain closed.)

In July, the Monterey Peninsula cities of Monterey, Pacific Grove and Carmel, along with the private Pebble Beach Company, reached a joint agreement on beach access just a couple of days before the Fourth of July weekend, news that may not have reached those who had already made plans to visit.

When the heatwave was imminent for the weekend of Aug. 15, Carmel City Administrator Chip Rerig limited access to that beach for the weekend. Pacific Grove closed smaller beaches around Lovers Point and limited access to Lovers Point Beach. Monterey closed small beaches and limited access to Del Monte Beach for two miles down Monterey State Beach in partnership with State Parks.

Some cities may modify their own closures. For example, in Carmel, Rerig says he  intends on asking City Council when they meet on Sept. 1 to approve a closure that also includes Friday, Sept. 4.

Here's the list of beaches that will only allow access to the water over Labor Day weekend, in order from Santa Cruz to the Carmel area:

• Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (including Main and Cowell Beach)
• Seacliff State Beach
• Capitola Beach
• Manresa State Beach
• Sunset State Beach
• Marina State Beach
• Fort Ord Dunes State Park
• Monterey State Beach (includes beach sections in Seaside and Sand City)
• Del Monte Beach
• San Carlos Beach
• McAbee Beach
• Lovers Point Beach and Park
• Asilomar State Beach
• Carmel Beach
• Carmel River State Beach
• Monastery Beach