Between Friday 13 March and Sunday 15 March the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in South Africa leapt from 24 to 61. On the evening of 15 March, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared the Coronavirus pandemic a national state of disaster, and implemented travel bans and other interventions.
Restricting transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is critical to minimising fatalities due to the Covid-19 illness. The Club has a role to play in this, and needs to be proactive and responsible in protecting its members and the broader community. The General Committee of the Cape Town Section has, therefore, decided to suspend, until further notice:
- Friday night talks
- First Tuesday socials
- Training events in the Clubhouse
- Hire of the Clubhouse hall
Along with frequent hand-washing, limiting close personal contact is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of the virus, and events all around the world and locally have been postponed and/or cancelled in an effort to contain transmissions.
The Committee has also decided to postpone the holding of the Annual General Meeting to Thursday 30 April 2020. We will continue to monitor the situation, and should circumstances require it, the AGM may have to be postponed again to some future date. Members will be advised when appropriate. An amended Notice of Meeting will be sent to members under separate cover.
At the discretion of the relevant meet leaders, Club meets will go ahead as scheduled, but members who show any Covid-19 symptoms are urged to withdraw from participating, and stay at home to recover.
Members are requested to conduct as much business involving the Office as possible remotely. For essential visits to the Office, hand sanitiser and paper towels are available for use. Thank you for your cooperation.
General Committee
The Mountain Club of South Africa – Cape Town Section
16 March 2020
