KTLA

Santa Monica Pier to close on MLK Day, weekends in January as COVID spike continues

The Ferris wheel at the Santa Monica Pier is lighted in a patriotic display for Veterans Day 2020.(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

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.

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.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.