Fine weather lures throngs out to parks
Sheltering lapses on warm days, making distancing a challenge
On warm, tantalizing spring days, with temperatures rising into the 70s and Bay Area residents restless after more than a month of sheltering in place, many of them couldn’t resist the temptation.
So they flocked to parks throughout the region this weekend, complicating the battle to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Most people observed socialdistancing guidelines and avoided closed picnic areas. But some people ignored the signs and gathered in large groups, to the dismay of Robert Doyle, general manager of the East Bay Regional Park District.
The biggest violation involved people trying to hold picnics and not leaving when asked, Doyle said.
“It’s just really busy,” he said Saturday afternoon. “We’ve got some full and overflowing parking lots. That’s generally the way it’s been, and now with the heat, a lot of people want to go outside. … It’s been a struggle.”
Doyle acknowledged the park visitors who carried face masks, following the recent guidelines. Most Bay Area residents now are under orders to carry those masks while exercising in public and wear them when they cannot stay 6 feet apart.
About 90% of the East Bay dis
trict’s parks were open over the weekend, though the picnic and swim areas were closed because that’s where people tend to linger. The system comprises nearly 125,000 acres in 73 parks, including more than 1,250 miles of trails.
Doyle’s message to stircrazy, natureseeking folks: Feel free to hike and enjoy the great outdoors. But follow the rules.
“If we see people in areas they’re not supposed to be, we’ll be nice and tell them first,” he said. “If they don’t cooperate, they’re subject to tickets. And if they’re parked illegally, they’re going to get tickets.”
With East Bay temperatures in the low 70s Sunday afternoon, some people were too tempted to follow all guidelines.
The parking lot at Union Point Park was full as residents shed their cars to stroll along Oakland’s Embarcadero. Lakeside Park and Pine Knoll Park, part of the Lake Merritt tidal lagoon near the center of downtown Oakland, were so packed that some joggers gave up on social distancing along the paths and ran in the bike lanes.
“For the most part, I think people are wearing masks and looking out for each other, but it can be impossible when it’s so crowded,” said Lauren Silver, an East Bay real estate agent. “Everybody wants to be outside and enjoy the weather.”
Not all parks were crowded. Union pile driver Robert Locklear found an unlikely place of solitude near his house at Littlejohn Park in Alameda. With the playground, barbecue pits and picnic areas closed off by caution tape, Locklear and his two dogs had free rein of the cloverfilled outfield of the park’s multipurpose athletic field.
“This place would normally be packed, with picnics everywhere,” said Locklear, who visits the park two or three times a day. “When more people are here, they do a good job of distancing out. Nobody wants to get” COVID19, the illness caused by the coronavirus.
Many state parks around the Bay Area remained closed this weekend, such as those in Sonoma County. State parks in Marin County and throughout California are temporarily closed to vehicles.
That doesn’t always stop people from trying to drive to these parks, especially on warm weekends.
“So far, state parks in the Bay Area have not been too crowded and the majority of visitors are abiding by the physical distancing guidelines,” Adeline Yee, a state parks information officer, wrote in an email to The Chronicle.
“State park peace officers will continue to patrol state park units to monitor visitation,” she said. “The expectation is that the public will adhere to the advice of public health officials and the closures.”
This rush outside came as no surprise, especially given the weather forecast. Gov.
Gavin Newsom, in his news conferences Thursday and Friday, implored California residents to resist the temptation and follow the state’s stayathome order.
But reports from Southern California suggested the warm weather was a powerful lure.
Officials in Orange and Ventura counties loosened restrictions at beaches, prompting a flood of visitors.
About 40,000 people showed up at Newport Beach, according to the Associated Press, though lifeguards said most of them appeared to avoid close contact or clustering.
“I want to encourage people to consider the impact of these decisions, not only on yourself but on the rest of the state,” Newsom said Friday. “Do your best to practice physical distancing and wear face coverings where appropriate, and continue to do justice to this moment.”
In Santa Cruz County, deputies with the Sheriff ’s Office warned beachgoers Saturday that anyone who sits, sunbathes, reads or congregates with others could face fines of up to $1,000, though people can still walk, run, surf or swim, and come alone or with family. “Avoid $1000 fines and use the beaches for recreation only,” county officials tweeted.
The challenge for park officials statewide will only grow in the weeks ahead, given the possibility of relaxed shelterinplace orders. Doyle advised visitors to hike early in the day and use East Bay parks during the week if possible, to avoid heavy weekend crowds.
He acknowledged the Bay Area’s success in “smashing the curve” of the coronavirus to this point, while cautioning people about the risk of taking a step backward.
“We’re trying to educate people,” Doyle said. “Your old behavior could get you sick, and it could kill you. … It’s just critical that everybody helps.”