California to Close Lots at State Parks After Surge in Crowds

(Bloomberg) -- California’s first weekend of stay-in-place orders was met with crowded beaches and parks, and now there are consequences.

“When you’re out there and you can’t even find parking at a beach, it suggests you’re not going to practice social distancing” California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a press conference Monday. “To make it easier for you we’re going to shut down all state parking lots, and that will go into effect immediately.”

The order closes 36 out of the 300 state parks in five counties. Newsom said the state has significantly increased state park ranger patrols. “They also have the capacity to fine if necessary,” Newsom said, adding that it’s not going to be their first course of action, but “If we must, we have the ability to cite.”

The announcement came just after a White House briefing in which President Donald Trump suggested he wants to open up the country in a matter of weeks, not months.

“There’s been a lot of talk about when this will end, there have been a lot of national conversations about that,” Newsom said. “We are looking at the next eight weeks on our curve, maybe the next eight to 12 weeks to address this surge.”

Newsom on March 19 ordered that all of the state’s 40 million residents go into home isolation while saying outdoor activity is permissible with proper social distancing. Several parks reported a surge in visitors over the weekend from people wanting to get out of the house.

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