Garden Route District Municipality to challenge decision to close beaches

The Garden Route District Municipality will now challenge government’s decision to close beaches in the area during the festive season. President Cyril Ramaphosa, on Monday evening, declared the Garden Route in the Western Cape a COVID-19 hotspot and with that, came a string of restrictions in order to mitigate the spread. The Sarah Baartman district was also declared a hotspot, joining Nelson Mandela Bay.

Some restrictions are already in place while others will follow over the festive season, including the closing of Garden Route beaches from 16 December until 3 January 2021. The sale of alcohol will also only be permitted from 10:00 to 18:00 from Monday to Thursday.

GARDEN ROUTE FORUM DISCUSSES POTENTIAL THREAT OF BEACH CLOSURE

Executive Mayor for the Garden Route District Municipality Memory Booysen said the closure of beaches is a hard pill to swallow, mainly because the area is a tourism destination. 

An urgent Garden Route District Coordinating Forum (DCF) was called by Booysen on Tuesday morning where he engaged with local municipal mayors, municipal managers, stakeholders from SANParks, Western Cape Government Health, (SAPS) and others to discuss the consequences of the President’s announcement. 

“Our plea and request/submission from this morning’s engagement and from the onset of the resurgence of COVID-19 in our region, has been for beaches in the Garden Route to remain open,” said Booysen.

SAME RESTRICTIONS AS KWAZULU-NATAL

On Tuesday afternoon Booysen represented the Garden Route municipalities and presented the agreed submissions from the engagement at a Provincial Coordinating Forum (PCF). The next step now is for submissions to be communicated to the National coronavirus Command Council (NCCC), with the backing of the Western Cape Government. 

“One submission of particular importance to the Garden Route is for the Cabinet to relax the restrictions relating to the closure of beaches and to change it to the same restrictions faced by Kwazulu-Natal.” 

KZN beaches only have to be closed on 16, 25, 26 and 31 December 2020.

“I am adamant that we can still get through this if we avoid crowded places, close-contact settings, confined spaces and enclosed spaces. In addition, Garden Routers and tourists need to adhere to the golden rules of keeping safe and adhere to the new regulations.”

“We agree wholeheartedly with the tightening of alcohol sales because it will lower the unnecessary alcohol-related trauma cases we often see at hospitals. We are hopeful that this resurgence will be over quickly,” added Booysen.