The ‘secret’ Sydney beaches that are open for swimming and exercise from TODAY – but sunbaking is still banned
- Woollahra Council reopened popular beaches in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs today
- Beaches across Rose Bay, Double Bay and Vaucluse are open for exercise only
- Sunbaking and resting on the sand before or after swimming is not allowed
- Mayor Susan Wynne said social distancing at the beaches would be monitored
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Several beaches in Sydney will be open from today as coronavirus restrictions begin to ease in the Harbour City.
Woollahra Council announced its famous eastern suburbs beaches would be reopened under a new ‘swim and go’ program.
Gibsons, Camp Cove, Kutti, Lady Martin’s, Parsley Bay, Seven Shillings and Watsons Bay have all been reopened.
Restrictions have also been eased at harbourside pools like Murray Rose Pool (Redleaf) and Watsons Bay Baths.
Permitted activities include ‘a quick swim, a walk or run or launching watercraft.’
Woollahra Council eased coronavirus restrictions and reopened several beaches in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs including Rose Bay, Double Bay and Vaucluse today (Camp Cove pictured)
The beaches are open for exercise only and permitted activities include swimming, walking and running or launching a watercraft (Lady Martin’s Beach in Point Piper pictured)
The council said: ‘New ‘swim and go’ measures introduced at Woollahra beaches and harbour pools will provide a safe way to exercise while maintaining social distancing.’
The council emphasised that beach access was exclusively for exercise and any sunbathing before or after swimming was not allowed.
Woollahra Council noted the decision to reopen beaches was made after consulting with health authorities, police, the local community and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The Mayor of Woollahra, Susan Wynne, said: ‘We had implemented closures due to an unacceptable risk of overcrowding as our beaches are much smaller than those in other municipalities.’
Resting on the sand before or after exercising is not permitted (Redleaf beach pictured)
Mayor Susan Wynne said the beaches would be monitored and closed if social distancing laws could not be respected (Watsons Bay pictured)
‘We are now at a point where we can responsibly move to a carefully managed re-opening for swimming and exercise,’ she explained.
The mayor said beaches would be closed if they became overcrowded or social distancing rules were not respected.
‘We will be closely monitoring all our beaches and if numbers become too great or people are not observing social distancing regulations, we will not hesitate to implement closures.’
‘If we all do the right thing, take a quick swim, run or walk and then leave, our beaches can remain open for everyone to enjoy,’ Ms Wynne said.
The number of current coronavirus cases across Australia as of Wednesday May 6