The first nine COVID-19 cases were reported here in Malibu, along with the first death: John Bell. Bell was a longtime Malibu resident, a contractor and someone deeply involved in the Malibu community; he started the first Malibu High School Christmas Tree Lot and was the first president of the Malibu High School Athletic Boosters Club as well as a former president of the Kiwanis Club. The city opened a free drive-through COVID-19 testing site behind City Hall, sponsored by CORE, founded by actor Sean Penn, himself a Malibu resident.
The long Broad Beach sand saga began 10 years ago when the residents of Broad Beach voted to formed a GHAD (Geological Hazardous Abatement District) to pay for the restoration of the sand they were steadily losing. As of April, they have spent $25 million with no end in sight and no new sand yet deposited on their beach. The money all has gone to lawyers and engineering firms, battling to finish the project with endless legal and regulatory roadblocks thrown in the way. Many of the residents with 50 feet of beachfront are now balking at the $70,000-per-year assessment and the lack of progress.
Most people in Malibu seemed to be following the mask requirements and stay-at-home orders but the numbers still climbed up to 18 confirmed cases in Malibu.
Malibu High School graduates, class of 2020, whose senior year was destroyed by COVID-19, received a special recognition by teachers, staff and parents who placed congratulatory signs on graduates’ lawns.