Coogee beach closes five days after reopening for exercise after crowds gathered on sand

Sydney beaches including Coogee and Maroubra CLOSE just five days after they re-opened for exercise because too many people flouted lockdown laws and packed the sand as temperatures hit 26C

• Randwick City beaches closed on Friday after crowds gathered on the sand 
• Council warned it would be monitoring social distancing on the sand and water 
• The closure comes five days after the beaches reopened for exercise 

By Karen Ruiz For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 04:10 BST, 24 April 2020 | Updated: 05:08 BST, 24 April 2020

A number of Sydney beaches have been closed, five days after they had reopened for exercise after hundreds of people flocked to the sand to enjoy the 26C weather. 

Randwick City beaches including Coogee, Maroubra and Clovelly were shut on Friday after large crowds made it difficult to follow safe social distancing practices.  

Lifeguards and rangers were seen booting swimmers and sunbathers off the sand shortly after 1pm.

The move comes after the beaches reopened on Monday after being closed to the public since March 28 under COVID-19 restrictions.

‘There were too many people on the sand and people were unable to follow safe social distancing practices so lifeguards and rangers are in the process of moving people off the beach now,’ a council spokesperson said on Friday. 

Randwick City beaches including Coogee (pictured) Maroubra and Clovelly were shut on Friday after large crowds made it difficult to follow safe social distancing practices

Lifeguards and rangers were seen booting swimmers and sunbathers off the sand shortly after 1pm on Friday 

Earlier on Friday, the council warned beaches would be closed if beachgoers did not comply with rules. Pictured: Sunbathers leave Coogee beach 

‘We found there were too many people paddling at the shoreline for long periods of time, which reduces the amount of space available at the beach. 

‘We really need for people to swim their laps, surf or soft sand run for exercise, then leave immediately.’ 

Earlier on Friday the Randwick City Council announced it would be monitoring crowds on the sand and in the water over the weekend to ensure sunbathers were practicing social distancing.

Randwick Mayor Danny Said warned they would be forced to shut beaches if crowds became too difficult to control. 

‘While we’re expecting warm weather conditions this weekend, people should not be planning a day at the beach,’ Mayor Said said on Friday. 

‘The stay-at-home public health orders remain in place, which require people to not leave their homes unless it is for essential reasons. This means people should not be hopping in their cars to travel to our beaches.’

Mayor Randwick Mayor Danny Said told residents they should ‘get fit and go’ not linger 

Beaches are not open for leisure, they are available for exercise only, the Mayor said. Pictured: Sunbathers leave Coogee beach after it closed 

‘If residents head to the beach, it should be to go for a quick swim, surf or soft sand run, then home again. 

‘Get fit and go, as we like to say. Our beaches are not open for leisure, they are available for exercise only. 

‘Once that has been complete, people must move on immediately,’ the mayor said. 

BEACH RESTRICTIONS 

CAN:

– Exercise on the sand or in the water at a distance of at least 1.5 metres

– Exercise for up to one hour in groups of no more than two people

CAN NOT:

– Sunbake or sit around on the beach

– Gather in groups of more than two, unless they are from same household 

The measures will continue throughout the Anzac Day weekend until Sunday evening. 

Beaches will not be re-opened unless lifeguards assess the situation to be safe. 

Sun-baking or gathering on the sand is still banned while ocean pools – which closed with the beaches on March 28 – remain off-limits. 

The reopening of the popular beaches was anticipated to be brief as lifeguards were threatening to shut it again after beachgoers continued to congregate in groups and sunbake on Tuesday. 

Lifeguards were repeatedly required to make announcements along the beach, telling those on the sand not to sunbake – and everyone in the water they had to be swimming. 

The reopening of Sydney’s most famous beaches was anticipated to be brief with lifeguards already threatening to shut it again, after still having to tell people to abide by COVID-19 restrictions on Monday 

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