South Africans may walk their dogs during lockdown, says Mkhize
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize says dog owners will be allowed to take their pets for a walk during the upcoming 21-day lockdown.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a national lockdown set to start on Friday morning.
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Mkhize announced on Wednesday morning that the confirmed cases of coronavirus have risen to 709.
Speaking to SABC, he said South Africans may jog on public roads as long as they refrain from exercising in large groups.
"Taking a dog for a walk and jogging, there shouldn't be a problem with all of that, and people should go into the shops to buy some food and some of their essentials.
"What we really want to avoid is people congregating in large numbers and you know big meetings where people are going to their places and cramming themselves up and panic-buying."
He warned that any form of gathering should be avoided.
"Now, if you are going to sit at home and then you call all your friends and the whole group of you are sitting, coughing on each other and sitting very close to each other and drinking away and doing parties, you are causing problems."