news, local-news, lake burley griffin, nca, social distancing, exercise, canberra, coronavirus, canberra coronavirus

Those who walk, run or cycle around Lake Burley Griffin will be asked to travel in a clockwise direction to help with social distancing measures. The National Capital Authority said multiple signs had been placed around the central basin of the lake, in a bid to help stop the spread of coronavirus. It comes after ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr and the ACT's chief police Ray Johnson warned about people gathering around the lake to exercise. The signs read: "Clockwise is COVID-wise. Remember 1.5m social distancing. Pedestrians and cyclists, please where possible travel in a clockwise direction around Lake Burley Griffin." The signs have been in place around the lake since Wednesday. A National Capital Authority spokeswoman said signs would also be placed where other tracks merged with the central basin loop. "This is a voluntary program where all people using the walking tracks are asked to travel clockwise to assist with social distancing, there will be no enforcement," the spokeswoman said. "We also share responsibility of the broader lake usage with the ACT government." Mr Barr said earlier this week police would not be stationed on bridges and prominent locations around Lake Burley Griffin to enforce social distancing, saying such a measure would be overkill. "If it is necessary and if there is a massive problem and people can't adapt their behaviour and leave a gap, how would you manage [social distancing] if people can't keep their distance?" Mr Barr said. The initiative to have people travel around Lake Burley Griffin in one direction was started by cycling advocacy group Pedal Power. Its chief executive Ian Ross said the idea was to make exercising around the lake safer during the time of coronavirus. "We suggested people go around clockwise so there'd be less people to bump into, and we think it's a great suggestion to promote social distancing," he said. While outdoor gatherings of more than two people are banned under social distancing restrictions, outdoor locations such as Lake Burley Griffin have seen groups of people gather in the area in recent weeks as people seek to exercise while in lockdown. Our COVID-19 news articles relating to public health and safety are free for anyone to access. However, we depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support. If you're looking to stay up to date on COVID-19, you can also sign up for our twice-daily digest here.

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