EThekwini Municipality has re-opened its swimming pools facilities and will be implementing the necessary safety precautions. The pools will be accessible to the public as of Monday, 28 December 2020.
Of the City’s 52 swimming pools, 19 will re-open to the public as they have met all the Covid-19 requirements. The remainder of the pools are undergoing repairs and maintenance. The public will be informed when it is safe to use the remaining pools once the repairs are completed.
The City’s Head of the Parks, Recreation and Culture Unit Thembinkosi Ngcobo said most of the City’s facilities were closed during lockdown and when the country eased lockdown regulations they were not conducive for use.
“As we open these facilities, mandatory safety protocols have been put in place to minimise possible infections when accessing the pool facilities,” he said.
He added that lifeguards will be onsite to monitor and ensure there are no drownings on the pools. The public is urged to adhere to all regulations and bylaws to minimises incidents of drownings.
The following pools will re- open under stringent restrictions:
Verulam; Buffelsdale; Hambanathi; Ntuzuma E; Isiphingo Hills; LT King; Tills Crescent; Alex Bulley; Bayview; Bellair; Lamontville; Kingspark Indoor; Kingspark ; Ansteys; Brighton; South Beach and Laguna
The pools will be closed on the following days: 31 December 2020, 1, 2 and 3 January 2021. On all other days all pools will open from 09h00 – 18h00, with staggered two hourly swimming times as follows:
- Swim time 1: 09h00 – 11h00
- Sanitise 1: 11h00 – 11h30
- Swim time 2: 11h30 – 13h30
- Sanitise 2: 13h30 – 14h00
- Swim time 3:14h00 – 16h00
- Sanitise 3:16h00 – 16h30
- Swim time 4: 16h30 – 18h00
- 18h00 pools close
Meanwhile, to ensure safety of residents and visitors, the Municipality will be closing all park facilities over Christmas and New Year weekends. This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced new Covid-19 restrictions for the festive season last week.
All Municipal parks facilities including Durban Botanic Gardens, Mitchell Park Zoo, Umgeni River Bird Park and all Nature Reserves will be closed on 25, 26, 27 and 31 December 2020 as well as 1, 2 and 3 January 2021. On all other days all parks are open.
The Municipality has taken a decision to close down all Municipal Libraries and Museums until further notice. The decision is informed by the City’s endeavour to protect its employees against the alarming rate of the spread of the pandemic.
Members of the public are urged to take full responsibility of their behaviour and minimise the spread of the virus by conforming to Covid-19 regulations.
Public Urged To Adhere To Covid-19 Regulations