Santa Monica Pier will be closed for MLK holiday and on weekends this month as COVID spike continues
The Santa Monica Pier will close the remaining three weekends this month and on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in an effort to rein in the record-breaking number of coronavirus infections in Los Angeles County, officials said.
The pier was closed Sunday as part of the move, made “out of an abundance of caution” to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus currently ravaging the county and the rest of California, the city of Santa Monica said in a news release.
Over the past week, the state has averaged 44,795 new cases and 480.9 new deaths per day. Experts say the true number of people infected is likely much higher than indicated in official tallies.
“It’s a war zone,” said a doctor at one L.A. County public hospital, as the COVID-19 surge brings levels of death once unimaginable in the U.S., despite tireless efforts to treat patients.
In L.A. County, morgues and funeral homes are full, and availability of hospital intensive care unit beds remains at 0%. Many nonessential businesses are closed, and residents have been asked to stay at home. Gatherings with members of other households are prohibited.
More than 920,000 Angelenos have tested positive for the illness, and over 12,200 have died, according to The Times tracker. In the last week, an average of 200 people have died each day. That number surpasses the average number of deaths in L.A. County from all other reasons combined, which averages 170 a day.
Santa Monica has more than 3,200 cases, according to the city’s tracker. Eighty-seven residents have died.
For the remainder of the month, the pier will be closed on the following days: Jan. 16-18, Jan. 23-24 and Jan. 30-31.
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