Johannesburg - South Africans will be allowed to leave their homes to exercise again when Level 4 of South Africa's Covid-19 lockdown kicks in on Friday but under very strict conditions, Cooperative Governance Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma said on Wednesday.
Jogging, walking and cycling will be allowed but only in your neighbourhood, within a 5km radius of your home, and only from 6am till 9am, Dlamini Zuma said.
She said no organised sports and no group activities would be allowed.
"This means if you do walk, jog, or cycle you must do
this alone and not in a group."
The minister said the government had received 20 000 submissions requesting clarity on what forms of exercise will be allowed during the Level 4 lockdown.
She said the time limit was to ensure that people would not be loitering around and stay at home.
Members of the government's National Coronavirus Command Council, led by Dlamini Zuma, on Wednesday gave a detailed public briefing on the regulations relating to the easing of South Africa's lockdown restrictions to Level 4.
Because there would an increase in the number of people going to work during Level 4, people would be requested to return home after work and not visit friends or relatives.
There will be a curfew between 8pm and 5am, with only people with permits allowed to be out of their homes between those times.
The minister also explained that since some people used the hours before the lockdown was implemented at the end of March to travel back home to various provinces, a short opening would be allowed for people to move back to the provinces where they permanently reside.
She stressed that no travel between provinces would be allowed. The country’s borders will remain closed and only be open for the transportation of goods.
READ THE NEW REGULATIONS HERE:
Dlamini Zuma said that companies should ready themselves for workers returning to work by putting measures in place to ensure that workers will be protected.
Last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the easing of the national lockdown, which is in its 34th day.
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