WPCA suspend cricket-related activities until end of 2020
SUSPENSION OF CRICKET RELATED ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE WESTERN PROVINCE CRICKET ASSOCIATION JURISDICTION EFFECTIVE FROM MONDAY, 14 DECEMBER 2020 TO THURSDAY 31 DECEMBER 2020
Due to the rapid increase of active Covid-19 infections and deaths in the City of Cape Town with hospitalisations on the increase, the Western Province Cricket Association Cricket Committee took an informed decision during a meeting held at Six Gun Grill Newlands Cricket Ground on Thursday, 10 December 2020 to suspend all cricket related activities within the Western Province Cricket Association jurisdiction effective from Monday, 14 December 2020 to Thursday 31 December 2020.
This decision was not taken lightly and was also influenced by Western Cape Provincial Disaster Management Centre guidelines; envisaged mini-lockdowns by the Western Cape Provincial Government and the increase of Covid-19 positive incidents reported to Western Province
Cricket Association which have occurred at affiliated club’s who participated in friendly fixtures resulting in these clubs having to shut down and cease all cricket related activities, and in addition officially notify all members who partook in these activities to undergo Covid-19 testing.
This decision is also fully supported by the City of Cape Town’s Recreation and Parks Department Community Services and Health Directorate under whose auspices the Municipal facilities resort.
This temporary suspension of all cricket related activities affects all amateur and youth related activities (Cricket Club’s; Schools; Private Cricket Academies) within the jurisdiction of the Western Province Cricket Association.
Western Province Cricket Association would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all its affiliated members who have taken the Covid-19 restrictions seriously, and who have abided by and effectively implemented the Western Province Cricket Association Policy Directive: Return To Train/ Play – Policy Guidelines For Amateur Cricket Under Alert Level 1 Lockdown dated 07 October 2020 and have helped us to assist in curbing the spread. We understand that this is hard – we have never faced a situation of this nature in cricket before.
Every affiliated member has played a very important role in ensuring that we are able to reduce the number of infections, protect vulnerable groups and ultimately, to save lives.
This drastic action over the next three weeks is required to safeguard the planned January 2021 to April 2021 cricket season league and to provide the Western Province Cricket Association an opportunity assist in curbing the spread. The more we do now, the more time we will have to effectively prepare ourselves and our cricket operational systems, the more lives we will be able to save.