Los Angeles

Newport Beach To Allow Businesses, Churches To Expand Into Parking Lots, Sidewalks

May 27, 2020 / 11:05 AM PDT / KCAL News

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NEWPORT BEACH (CBSLA) — Restaurants and houses of worship in Newport Beach will be among those allowed to expand into parking lots and sidewalks in order to better meet physical distancing requirements under an emergency ordinance approved Tuesday.

Some parking lots remain closed at Newport Beach, California amid the coronavirus pandemic on April 30, 2020. - California Governor Gavin Newsom announced in his daily press conference that beaches in some parts of southern California will be shut down from May 1, to avoid a repeat of the huge crowds that flocked there the previous weekend. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

The Newport Beach City Council gave its approval to restaurants, retailers, religious groups and other businesses to expand their services outdoors. Restaurants, for example, will be allowed to offer outdoor dining in parking lots and on sidewalks.

To do so, however, businesses will first have to apply for a special permit and prove that they can comply with guidelines such as social distancing and adequate parking.

The permits will remain in place until two weeks after the city lifts the coronavirus emergency order. For information on how to apply for a permit, click here.

Orange County Saturday received permission from California Gov. Gavin Newsom for an accelerated reopening process which allows O.C. to reopen restaurants for in-person dining and retailers for in-person shopping, along with the reopening of offices and manufacturing businesses.

Several malls have since reopened to customers. The governor Tuesday also gave permission for O.C. hair salons and barbershops to reopen.

However, due to its high number of COVID-19 cases, nearby Los Angeles County still has not received permission for restaurants to provide in-person dining or for its hair salons to reopen, although retailers were given permission to reopen Wednesday for in-person shopping.