Heat Wave: Pacifica Businesses Seek Support Amid Labor Day Beach Closures Over COVID-19
PACIFICA (KPIX 5) -- Virtually every table in the beer garden at Pacifica Brewery was full Friday night.
The owner hopes that come Saturday, when the city closes its beaches and parking lots for Labor Day Weekend to slow the spread of COVID-19, customers will still come.
The brewery opened just four months before the pandemic began.
"For people that are trying to get away from the smoke, and trying to get away from their areas, it's not very welcoming for Pacifica to constantly say - this is the third time - we're closing our beach to everyone," said Owner Helen Nasser Elddin.
Nearby Half Moon Bay is keeping its beaches open this holiday weekend. It decided it didn't have the manpower to enforce the closures. In the past, people ignored them, and strolled onto the beaches anyway.
• ALSO READ: Many Bay Area Beaches Shut Down for Labor Day Weekend
"So we're kind of just sitting here going Half Moon Bay is thinking on the business side of it, this is not good for our local businesses, they've been affected so bad, we're not going to close the beach," she added. "I'm trying to understand why Pacifica doesn't think the same way."
KPIX 5 met some locals who took advantage of Pacifica State Beach ahead of the shutdown.
"Since I had school today and I finished all my homework pretty early, so we just wanted to go do something before it closed tomorrow," said 13-year-old Clark Ryall of Pacifica.
Friday's evening traffic was moderate, and there was plenty of space on the sand.
"I understand because you can't guarantee that people are going to be safe, and sit distanced and wear masks," said Janell Jones of Pacifica. "Although because Half Moon Bay is open and Pacifica is not, there's still going to be tremendous traffic through our town."
San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa is urging people to stay away from the county's beaches this weekend.
"When they flout these rules, it keeps us in purple tiers. It closes our economy. So their selfishness, not only kills people, but their selfishness kills our economy," Canepa said.