Newport Beach’s City Hall, community centers and other spots will be mostly closed to the public beginning Monday, Jan. 3 amid the emergence of the highly contagious Omicron variant of COVID-19 and the surge of infections expected following the holiday season, officials said this weekend.
Omicron’s rapid spread has affected businesses, air travel, sports, entertainment and other aspects of life around the nation. COVID-19 cases and potential exposures skyrocketing in Orange County have sent people scrambling to get tested.
In Newport Beach, non-city employees will not be allowed into certain facilities. But all city services will still be conducted either over the phone, online or through drop-off services. People who need to submit physical documents or payments can deposit those into bins placed outside of City Hall, a workaround which had been used in “previous COVID protocols,” officials said in an announcement on the city’s website.
“We anticipate these protocols will be in place for at least two weeks, through mid-January,” Newport Beach officials said in the announcement. “However, we are carefully monitoring the COVID Omicron outbreak in consultation with Hoag Hospital and County health officials, and will adjust as necessary.”
Libraries will remain open but no in-person meetings will be allowed. Recreational classes hosted at the city’s community centers will continue as scheduled, but face coverings will be mandatory indoors and no spectators will be allowed.
The return of coronavirus-related closures came as a surprise, even to some city officials, Newport Beach spokesman John Pope said. He added that early estimates regarding the duration of the precautionary measures may be “optimistic.”
The decision to implement the restrictions was based on concerning data from county officials regarding the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. It was made by City Manager Grace Leung as a growing number of city staff reported recent exposure to coronavirus, Pope said.
City leaders intend to “amplify the message of health professionals,” he said. They are urging everyone to get vaccinated, and advise those who are to get their booster shots.
This is at least the third time the coronavirus has prompted officials to temporarily bar the public from entering City Hall, Pope said. It, as well as community centers, playgrounds, houses of worship and other facilities were shuttered in the Summer of 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19.
Those previous closures each lasted about a month, Pope said. They followed guidance outlined in the stay-at-home order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom when lockdowns first went into place in 2020, more than a year before vaccines for the virus were approved for emergency use.
