These are the beaches that will be closed over the festive season

As the cumulative number of Covid-19 cases in South Africa reach 866 127, President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced further restrictions, including the closure of some beaches over the festive season.

This as the country faces a second wave of the pandemic, recording a 74% increase in the daily average of new infections in the last seven days, from around 3 800 to just more than 6 600 a day, Ramaphosa said.

“Given the rate at which new cases have grown over the last two weeks, there is every possibility that if we do not act urgently and if we do not act together, the second wave will be more severe than the first wave.”

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Ramaphosa said the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng were leading the second wave.

According to the president, the festive season “poses the greatest threat to the health and well-being of our nation”. He said as a result, in the areas with the highest infection rates, beaches and public parks will be closed from 16 December to 3 January.

“This will apply to all of the Eastern Cape, as well as to the Garden Route district in the Western Cape.

“In KwaZulu-Natal, beaches and public parks will be closed on what are traditionally the busiest days of the season,” he said.

With respect to KZN, these days are 16, 25, 26 and 31 December, as well as 1, 2 and 3 January.

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Beaches and public parks in the Northern Cape and Western Cape, with the exception of the Garden Route, will remain open to the public over the festive season. However, festivals, live music events and live performances at beaches are prohibited.

The beaches and parks that remain open to the public will operate between 9am and 6pm.

DA leader John Steenhuisen said they did not support Ramaphosa’s announcement of the closures, saying it went “against the scientific advice and recommendations made by medical experts such as Dr Angelique Coetzee and Professor Salim Abdool Karim”.

“This restriction is irrational and will spell disaster for the hospitality and tourism industries. Ultimately, it will be the fatal blow to tourism for coastal economies, bringing more economic turmoil to coastal communities,” he said.

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde’s office said he will comment on Tuesday.

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These are the beaches that will be closed over the festive season:

Eastern Cape:

The entire province, including the beaches of Port Elizabeth, Jeffreys Bay, East London, Port Alfred and Port St Johns.

Garden Route:

The entire Garden Route, including the beaches of Mossel Bay, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Witsand, Still Bay, Hartenbos and Wilderness.

KwaZulu-Natal:

Closed on the seven busiest days (dates mentioned above). The province boasts many beaches, including Umhlanga Main Beach, Golden Mile (North Beach), Virginia Beach, Salt Rock Beach, Amanzimtoti Beach, Margate Beach, Port Shepstone Beach, Zimbali Beach, Suncoast Beach, uShaka Beach and Sodwana Bay.

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