SAN DIEGO —
For the first time since last spring, San Diego sailors will be allowed to visit public beaches, dine at reopened restaurants and patronize local bars, the Navy announced Tuesday, ending some of the strictest pandemic-related restrictions implemented last year.
Even as the civilian world eased dining restrictions last summer and again this spring, sailors in San Diego were not allowed to patronize reopened “non-essential” businesses, including retail stores, barber shops, and places of worship, according to Brian O’Rourke, a spokesman for Navy Region Southwest.
San Diego Navy bases have also eased restrictions imposed in March of 2020, which saw the shuttering of on-base dining and recreation facilities — something that disproportionately affected the most junior personnel, who often live on base.