Coronavirus: Sydney beaches reopen, but for locals only

A handful of Sydney’s beaches have reopened after coronavirus and crowds forced their closure — but not all are welcome.

Sydney’s Waverley council has reopened its beaches after being closed for a number of weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic. Picture: Toby Zerna

After being ruled off limits for more than a month, Sydney’s most popular beach is once again open to those willing to brace themselves for the frigid weather.

And brace themselves they did, with hundreds of exercise seekers heading to the famous shores of Bondi Beach when it reopened at 7am on Tuesday.

Imogen Blight, celebrated her 20th birthday with an early morning swim.

“It's so refreshing and it's really lovely to be back in the water,” she said.

Ms Blight said she was not deterred by the tepid water temperatures, with the beach coinciding with a cold snap.

“It’s super lovely, not as cold as I thought it would be. It was beautiful to see the sun rise.”

Local couple Mans and Moa Alfven, who normally swim daily at Bondi Beach, said they were delighted to have their morning ritual back.

“It feels so wonderful. It's beautiful. We saw a mother dolphin and her baby that were swimming just under us,” Ms Alfven said.

Imogen Blight, celebrated her 20th birthday with an early morning swim.

“It's so refreshing and it's really lovely to be back in the water,” she said.

Ms Blight said she was impressed with council’s management of the process.

“There was a lot of information out beforehand about what time it would open and we thought it might be more stressful, but it was nice to just come back and see all the locals enjoying being in the water.”

Locals wait for the beach to open at Bondi. Picture: John Feder

Waverley Council shut its beaches last month after photos showed large crowds breaching the then ban on gatherings of over 500 people.

The council’s beaches are now open on weekdays between 7am and 5pm, with designated entry and exit points to control crowds.

Bondi and Bronte are open for swimming and surfing. Tamarama is open for surfing only due to a strong rip current. The beaches remain closed for walking, sunbathing and gatherings.

The council has urged non-residents to stay away from the beaches, saying the partial reopening is for locals to exercises.

Dee Why, Freshwater and Manly are the only northern beaches that remain closed in Sydney’s north.

Bondi locals return to the beach as it reopens.

Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos urged people to abide by the state government’s advice to exercise locally.

“This is not about stopping people coming to the beach, it’s about people’s safety. We always welcome visitors, but during a pandemic, please do the right thing and practice personal responsibility,” she said.

“People have embraced the spirit of the intention of these corridors and they are just going in, swimming for exercise and then coming back out again.”

Waverley remains the top NSW hotspot for COVID-19, with 181 confirmed cases, according to the latest NSW Health data.

Waverley Council lifeguard services manager Matt du Plessis said he was pleased people were not congregating, despite the beach being busier than normal.

The council’s beaches are now open on weekdays between 7am and 5pm for aquatic activity. Bondi and Bronte are open for swimming and surfing. Tamarama is open for surfing only due to a strong current.