Local nature reserves remain closed under alert level 3
HERAUT has recently been inundated with enquiries regarding the use of public open spaces, parks, cemeteries and nature reserves and can confirm that Marievale Bird Sanctuary, Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve, Kliprivierberg Reserve and Johannesburg Zoo remain temporarily closed under alert level 3 of the lockdown (which came into effect on June 1).
Councillor Margaret Arnolds (MMC for community development in the City of Johannesburg) has appealed to avid park users to comply with the temporary lockdown measures in level 3, as Ekurhuleni remains a hotspot due to the surge in the number of Covid-19 infections in Gauteng.
“The concern is the increased trajectory of infections in developed suburbs and the potential of a resurgence in both formal and informal areas. Unfortunately, some residents are refusing to comply with safety protocols and are compromising the health of others by gathering in public spaces or visiting parks and nature reserves. The implications of an increase in the number of infections will place undue pressure on the City’s health services and its cemeteries and crematoria,” Arnolds stated.
While the economy is slowly starting to reopen, tourism and travel related businesses are still not allowed to operate due to safety risks, pushing the industry further towards a downward spiral.
