Watch CBS News

Coronavirus Closes Santa Monica Pier Indefinitely; Bars, Nightclubs Shut Down

SANTA MONICA (CBSLA) – One of the most popular tourists attractions in Southern California, the Santa Monica Pier, has been closed due to the coronavirus outbreak, while bars and nightclubs in the city have also been temporarily shuttered.

The city of Santa Monica announced Sunday it had issued an executive order to close the pier beginning at 6 a.m. Monday.

The pier will remain closed to both people and cars. It's unclear how long the closure will last.

"We welcome thousands of guests to our Pier each and every day, so we take this step out of the deepest desire to keep people at home and healthy," said City Manager Rick Cole in a statement. "We love our Pier and the joy it brings to everyone that visits, but in this moment, we must take aggressive actions to slow the spread of COVID-19."

Later Monday morning, Santa Monica followed the lead of the city of Los Angeles in announcing it was closing all bars and nightclubs which do not serve food, effective immediately, and lasting a period of at least 2 weeks. Restaurants can only serve food to-go, patrons cannot eat on the premises.

L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Sunday that all bars, nightclubs, gyms, movie theaters and dine-in restaurants in the city of L.A. will be temporarily shut down through March 31.

Restaurants can only sell food for takeout during this time. Only food banks, pharmacies and grocery stores will remain open.

There are now 69 confirmed coronavirus cases in L.A. County, including one death.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 — the disease caused by the coronavirus — is spread from person-to-person through close contact, usually within 6 feet, and mainly via respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. People are likely most contagious when they are most symptomatic. Coronavirus can also be spread by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching your mouth, nose and eyes.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.