Noosa residents rush to Covid-19 vaccine site as Peregian Beach traders are hit hard by snap lockdown

Noosa residents are queuing up to get a Covid-19 vaccine as traders fear the promise of a school holiday rush has been snatched away by the lockdown.

A queue forms at the Sunny Street Covid vaccine and testing hub in Tewantin shortly after the Premier announced a three day lockdown on June 29.

Residents have rushed to Noosa’s only Covid-19 vaccine and testing hub after the announcement of a snap lockdown which some businesses fear will cause the opposite effect.

Lines were forming outside the Sunny Street respiratory clinic on Pelican Street in Tewantin on Tuesday morning after the government announced the southeast, including Noosa and the Sunshine Coast, would be going into lockdown from 6pm.

Sunny Street co-founder Dr Nova Evans said the clinic had tested 60 people for the virus before the announcement and had administered 39 vaccines.

A queue forms at the Sunny Street Covid vaccine and testing hub in Tewantin shortly after the Premier announced a three day lockdown. Picture: Maddie Manwaring

Dr Evans said they had received 500 phone calls on Tuesday morning and said it would be one of the clinic’s busiest days yet with more than 90 vaccines expected to be administered.

She said they were urging people to “hang in there” while trying to contact the hub or to show up for a walk in appointment if they were eligible for the vaccine.

“The longest wait has been less than 30 minutes so far,” she said.

“We want to encourage more people to get down there.”

The Sunny Street Covid testing hub in Tewantin had tested 60 people by 12pm Tuesday. Picture: Maddie Manwaring

“We love being busy because it means we’re getting people vaccinated,” a Sunny Street staff member said.

Dr Evans said people eligible to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine could book an appointment or walk in to the clinic between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday and that hours may be extended due to demand.

She said the clinic would also be administering the Pfizer vaccine from July 9.

Since opening as a respiratory clinic in August last year, the hub has done 11,000 Covid-19 tests and in the past two months have administered 1000 vaccines.

Meanwhile, Peregian Beach business owners say the snap lockdown will be a heavy blow to village square traders.

Peregian Beach Newsagency owner Dan De Rooy and Hand of Fatima eatery owner Dion Morrow fear the promising school holiday rush has been snatched away.

Mr De Rooy said the lockdown would close most of the businesses in Peregian Village square and curtail his trade.

Peregian Beach newsagent Dan De Rooy is fearful of the impact of the three-day snap Covid lockdown on local trading.

“It could make us work on reduced hours, it’s a bit unknown,” he said.

“We weathered the storm last April (lockdown) by the skin of our teeth.

“It was very slim pickings, staff wages were cut.”

He thought the mandatory masks and other new sign-in restrictions are “a necessary evil”.

Mr Morrow just before the lockdown was announced said the health order would be devastating for him and his four staff.

Baked Poetry Cafe customers Carol Nelson of Sunshine Beach and Lin Martin of Peregian are committed to going along with a lockdown.

“It wouldn’t kill me but it would hurt,” Mr Morrow said.

“This is the prime time to pump it up, we’ve got school holidays.”

Mr Morrow said the previous lockdown made it hard to order stock and roster staff.

“Poor (business) people have still got to pay business activity statements), they’ve still go to pay super,” he said.

Peregian residents and Penny Donovan said they were happy to go along with the Premier’s decree to mask up and lockdown.

“I think with this new Delta variant it’s a game changer,” Ms Crawford said.

“I think they’re doing the right thing.

“I think she’s being precautious in just saying that it’s mask for two weeks and we’ll see how it goes.”

Peregian Raw Energy customer Penny Donovan enjoys a sit down coffee with Mary Crawford – all masked up.

Ms Donovan said the new restrictions were a pain “but we’ve got to do the right thing to keep everyone safe”.

Baked Poetry Cafe customers Carol Nelson of Sunshine Beach and Lin Martin of Peregian were happy to comply with a lockdown.

“I actually think it’s a really good idea,” Ms Nelson said.

“I mean it’s protecting us all from potential transmission of Covid.”

Ms Martin agreed.

“This is just what we have to do,” she said.

“I haven’t got any issues with it, we just have to get on with it.

“The only issues I have are with (Prime Minister) Scott Morrison and the (vaccine) roll out, it’s not good enough.”