I love California. One of the many things about the state I adore are the beaches. I admire the mountains, parks, sun, open sky and the amazing weather as well. All of those things are why California is our most populous state.
Californians feel the same way I do. I’m sure they think their beaches are as much a part of the state landscape as tall buildings are to New Yorkers. For the past six weeks, Californians have stuck to the shelter in place orders from their Governor Gavin Newsom. They have done so willingly, for the most part, and have successfully kept the number of cases of COVID-19 and deaths much lower than in places like New York and New Jersey.
A tipping point might have come when Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered a “hard close” of every state and local beach. He clearly plucked a nerve in a state where residents feel time the beach is akin to a birthright.
Why did he do this? There were reports of crowds flocking to Orange, Ventura and Santa Cruz county beaches last weekend. It appears as if a heatwave sent temperatures soaring above 90 degrees and beachgoers wanted some relief by being at the beach. There were photos of people enjoying themselves, lounging on the shoreline - and it went ‘viral.’
Those images spurred Newsom to chastise state beachgoers. He suggested their lack of physical distancing, at a massive beach, could prolong the spread of the novel coronavirus in California and put the health of others at risk.
Is it safe to swim in the ocean?
If is baffling how so many people are afraid to be outside. The risk of a beach, public park or even going for a walk is somewhat comparable to a trip to the grocery store. People who are medically vulnerable or elderly shouldn’t be outside at this time. Has anyone thought about the risk people take when they wait in lines to buy food? Wouldn’t that be the same risk people take being 6 feet apart at the beach? If you’re swimming more than 6ft away from people, you’re probably reasonably safe. Moreover, the corona virus would probably struggle to survive in the seawater because of factors including UV light penetrating the water, tide activation and the salt content in the ocean.
Does sunlight kill the virus at the beach?
The coronavirus is very sensitive to ultraviolet light and very sensitive to heat. It’s not likely to survive in both heat and sunlight. Sunlight is important for another very important reason. It’s an excellent natural source of vitamin D, which has several health benefits, including an increased resistance to infectious diseases. While there may not be evidence that vitamin D reduces the risk of contracting the coronavirus, it may help to lower the risk of a more severe respiratory infection.
Sunlight cannot, however, kill the virus “inside the body”, as Donald Trump implied last week.
When it comes to re-opening California, I’m hard pressed to find a better example of something that could be restarted, at this point, than the beaches.
In a report in the Los Angeles Times,
Orange County leaders are pushing back.
San Clemente Mayor Pro Tem Laura Ferguson said she reached out to the city manager and city attorney Wednesday night after she heard about the proposed order, suggesting they review what legal authority the governor had to close city beaches.
“I’m hoping the governor can cite some valid reason under case law to be doing this to cities because, in my opinion, it appears to be government overreach. Local beaches are under the control of the cities, not the state.”
Do we punish all the ‘A grade’ students when one fails? This builds resentment and punishes the ones that follow the rules.
California has many wide and spacious beaches. It’s easy to stay more than 6 feet away from anyone. Plus, it’s good for healthy people to be outside getting in some fresh air and sunshine. Governors like Gavin Newsom will undermine the good will of people who have patiently and quietly followed several weeks of restrictions, even when many of them are manifestly irrational or counterproductive. A blanket ban of this sort will create a backlash against even the reasonable social distancing rules, and in so doing make the problem worse, not better.
Once again, I feel Newsom demonstrates his authoritarianism and disdain for local control and individual responsibility, with yet another draconian one-size-fits-all "solution" to a problem.
Think about it, sometimes people drive drunk. Are we ending all alcohol sales? Why such a heavy handed response? Where does it end?
What restrictions are being put in place in your state that you feel have gone too far?
Something disturbing:
Is this what our society is coming to?
Clayton Craddock is an independent thinker, father of two beautiful children in New York City. He has written about fatherhood, societal change and parenting over many years and is currently finishing a memoir. Clayton is also the drummer of the hit broadway musical Ain’t Too Proud. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Howard University’s School of Business and is a 25 year veteran of the fast paced New York City music scene. He has played drums in a number of hit broadway and off-broadway musicals including “Tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical and Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar and Grill. In addition, Clayton has worked on: Footloose, Motown, The Color Purple, Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, Evita, Cats, and Avenue Q.