Letter to the Community from Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen
Letter to the Community from Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen
City of Laguna Beach, March 22, 2020, Media Release
Dear Laguna Beach Residents:
I want to assure you that the City of Laguna Beach, the City Manager and our first responders are actively engaged in enforcing the Governor’s stay-at-home order. As the Governor urged again last night, everyone needs to comply and everyone needs to use common sense.
To a large degree our local businesses and residents are complying with the Governor’s order. We have received reports of a few businesses that have failed to comply with the Governor’s order and our Police Department is shutting down those not in compliance and will enforce social distancing at those businesses who are permitted to remain open such as take-out food locations.
The biggest issue and concern is with our beaches. Our Marine Safety Division is utilizing our drones to view the beaches and will be posting those images periodically to the City’s social media. Currently, the Chief of Marine Safety has concluded that there has been good compliance with social distancing at the beaches. Beaches remain open throughout the County at this time and we are in communication with the State, the County and other cities to monitor the issue. If social distancing is not observed, we will close the beaches.
I strongly urge individuals who are not residents to stay in your own communities and do not come to Laguna Beach to endanger yourself, your families, our residents or our first responders. Everyone can take a walk and exercise outdoors in their own communities. Please do this for the health of everyone in our county, our state and beyond.
I also strongly urge everyone in the City to stay at home except when you must go out to conduct essential business such as grocery shopping, going to the pharmacy or medical appointments or getting takeout food at a local restaurant. As the Governor has said, you may go outside for a walk or to exercise. Please do that only with family members or by yourself to avoid contacting others.
Be safe and be smart and we will all get through this by working together and thinking of the welfare of not only our families but of our community as a whole. I am proud of the efforts that our City staff and first responders, local businesses and residents have made to date. Thank you.
I will continue to provide you with updates as we have significant news to share.
Bob Whalen, Mayor
City of Laguna Beach
