Covid-19: Western Cape Premier cycles Cape’s streets to assess lockdown Level 4 exercise window
"It is important that we have more time for exercise so we can prevent congregation in densely populated areas," tweeted the premier.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has said he thinks the exercise regulations – particularly in the Cape – need to be re-thought.
This, after he took his bicycle out on the morning of 2 May to cycle the Cape’s streets during the three-hour exercise window – between 6am and 9am – as permitted during Level 4 of lockdown regulations.
Winde’s cycle and video follow the buzz on social media on 1 May with photos of runners and walkers taking the Sea Point promenade by storm between 6am and 9am.
In Winde’s video – which he posted to his Twitter account – the premier explained it was a ‘big problem’ to see so many people out exercising at once. “I think we need to re-think these regulations,” he said.
Firstly, he pointed out that specifically in the Cape, sunrise was later. Secondly, he added, “I think with a short window period and a densely populated city, so many people in that window just means congestion, and I think we need to re-think that. We need to have a look at perhaps an afternoon window. People who are essential workers, maybe working in the morning, aren’t able to exercise if they can’t do it in the afternoon, and I think opening it up will definitely make a lot more sense.”
He also said that citizens to be healthy to be able to fight Covid-19.
The video was posted at around 10am on 2 May and by early evening, it had already amassed over 27 000 views on Twitter.
Watch it here:
This morning I went to go and see for myself what the situation was during the exercise period. It is important that we have more time for exercise so we can prevent congregation in densely populated areas. @WesternCapeGov pic.twitter.com/2rqkUM2dLp
— Premier Alan Winde 🇿🇦 (@alanwinde) May 2, 2020
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