Coronavirus: Famous Malibu Pier Shut Down, Restaurants Closed

MALIBU (CBSLA) – In a similar fashion to several other coastal communities along Southern California, the famous Malibu Pier -- along with all its shops and restaurants -- were closed Wednesday in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The affluent city announced the indefinite closure Tuesday after the pier was swarmed by crowds this past weekend.

"Crowding on beaches and trails or anywhere right now is not acceptable, it does not help us to slow the spread of coronavirus and it puts seniors and vulnerable groups at risk," Malibu Mayor Karen Farrer said in a statement.

The closure includes all the pier's shops and restaurants, and its parking lot. Malibu's beaches remains open, however.

Nearby Santa Monica was also forced Sunday to close all its beach parking lots in an attempt to keep people off the beaches, bike paths, and out of Palisades Park. The Santa Monica Pier has been closed since early last week.

All parking lots at state beaches and parks - including nine in L.A. County – have been closed.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti also ordered all parking lots for city-owned beaches – which include Cabrillo and Venice – to close. The Venice Beach Boardwalk is closed as well.

On Wednesday morning, L.A. closed the gates to the popular Runyon Canyon Park in the Hollywood Hills after it too was hit by large weekend crowds.

RELATED: Orange County Closes Parks, Trails; Some OC Cities Shut Down Beaches

L.A. closed all its city-owned golf courses Sunday, while the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority – a government agency which manages 75,000 acres of parkland in the Santa Monica and Santa Susana Mountains, along with the Simi Hills – closed all its parks and trails.

Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a stay-at-home order for the the entire state. Under the order, people can only leave their homes for essential needs. The orders ban all gatherings of 10 people or more outside of a single home and calls for non-essential businesses that require employees to report for work to shut down.