SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom called images of packed California beaches from over the weekend “an example of what not to do,” during his daily media briefing Monday.

The warm weather drew throngs of people to the sand around Southern California, with many of them not following the cautious guidelines introduced by officials who have partially reopened some beaches, but with calls for no group gatherings and continued social distancing.

Reflecting on images of the beach crowds, Newsom said “this virus doesn’t take weekends off,” and urged patience from restless California residents. The governor said the state is “weeks, not months” away from some gradual loosening on social distancing guidelines, but that lifting measures to any degree depends on people’s abilities to cooperate with new rules designed to protect public health, particularly for the vulnerable.

Newsom said law enforcement will be out in greater numbers in public spaces to make sure people are following physical distancing guidelines, though he emphasized that the effort remains “education-based” when possible, and said he doesn’t want to have to see people actually getting citations.