1. Today was the first day of level four lockdown in SA. Many residents in the WC, just like the rest of the country, took up the opportunity to exercise in line with these new regulations promulgated by the National Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
2. These regulations allow residents to exercise within a 5km radius of their homes between 6 am and 9 am.
3. In many of the country’s high density cities, abiding by these regulations during a very set-time has resulted in high levels of congregation in public spaces.
4. This is the unfortunate result of regulations which I am afraid were not thought through and regrettably lack common sense.
5. The medical and scientific reason for the lockdown has been to limit gathering, so as to slow the spread of Covid-19. By forcing residents to only exercise during a very set-time period, we are forcing congregation.
6. Furthermore, little consideration was given to the fact that sunrise is later in the Western Cape as we approach winter, therefore providing an even smaller window of time for a large number of people to exercise in line with the new regulations.
7. We need a common-sense approach in our response to Covid-19. The WC Government will therefore petition the National Minister to provide for additional times for exercise during daylight hours, so that we can drastically reduce volumes of people exercising at any one point.
8. We have seen from the 22 000 submissions to the national government on the issue of exercise, and the enthusiastic response by people around the country, that this opportunity is valued and appreciated.
9.Cardiovascular exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, which also has a positive impact on lung health.We should encourage healthy lifestyle choices&allow residents to take responsibility for themselves by practicing social distancing&wearing their masks.
10. My request to all our residents is to please do everything possible to avoid any gathering whatsoever. You must keep your distance from others. You must exercise alone. You must wear a cloth mask, & be sure to follow the golden rules of hygiene at all times.
11. If you are not feeling well, you must not leave your home at all. This is important. Please first call the Provincial Hotline on 021 928 4102 for advice on what you should do next.
