Closures have lifted at Coronado\u2019s city beaches for the first time in a month \u2014 with a caveat.<\/p>\n
The San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality has downgraded the water contact closure at Coronado\u2019s city beaches to an advisory, lifting the strictest restrictions just ahead of the Fourth of July holiday. The Avenida Lunar station moved to advisory status July 1, followed by the Coronado Main Lifeguard Tower station on July 3.<\/p>\n
Silver Strand State Beach was not so lucky. Both ocean stations there \u2014 the north end and the guard shack \u2014 remain under a full closure that has been in place since June 2.<\/p>\n
The distinction matters. Under county rules, a closure means the beach is off-limits to all water contact because of an imminent health threat from a sewage or chemical spill, and it stays in place until contamination is no longer present in the water. An advisory is a step down<\/a>: bacteria levels in the water exceed state health standards, and the county advises beachgoers to avoid contact. Advisories are lifted when water samples come back within state standards.<\/p>\n In short: at an advisory beach, the county says swim at your own risk. At a closed beach, it says don\u2019t swim at all.<\/p>\n