Covid NSW: Fears of a Byron Bay Schoolies ‘superspreader event’

Thousands of Schoolies are planning to travel to Byron Bay once the state opens up, but locals fear the annual celebration will be a superspreader event in a region with low vaccination rates.

Byron Bay locals fear the annual schoolies end of year 12 celebration, which is almost booked out, will become a superspreader event for Covid.

As both international and the Queensland borders remain closed, Byron Bay is the destination of choice, but with the state set to come out of lockdown in late October, the mayor of the Byron Shire Michael Lyon fears the timeline will leave the shire, with lower than average vaccine uptake, at risk of a major outbreak of Covid.

Schoolies outside the Bay Hotel in Byron Bay in 2017. Picture. Darren Leigh Roberts

“I don’t think the state government’s time table is realistic for us if we are going to keep our community safe,” Mr Lyon said.

“It is about the amount of people coming and what does it look like when you open up, because from the overseas experience you still get an overwhelming number of cases, still get hospitals admissions and if we have a closed Queensland border, our local health service planning relies on having access to those Queensland hospitals so with a closed border and the knowledge we will get a massive increase in cases, and no real clarity around the number of people who can gather post lockdown, it’s all up in the air.”

Byron mayor Michael Lyon fears the Schoolies event will cause Covid cases to skyrocket. Picture: Liana Boss

It is likely, if the event goes ahead, that only those schoolies double vaccinated will be allowed to attend.

“I presume any kind of travel according to the road map will require that. Those who aren’t vaccinated won’t be having the freedoms the vaccinated have. There is a lack of clarity around everything and it is hard to predict what schoolies may look like,” Mr Lyon said.

Nicqui Yazdi, who started the Byron Schoolies Safety Response and the Schoolies hub back in 2008, said she will not be providing the service this year.

“There will be no schoolies hub. Schoolies themselves, like last year, they came from everywhere, but this area is still very under-vaccinated,” she said.

“We’ve dodged a bullet many times, but the reality is this is a very under vaccinated area and while I know kids down south are getting vaccinated, our kids can’t even get vaccines here. It’s been months to make an appointment.”

While the region has attracted much criticism for being the heart land of the anti-vaccine movement, 60 per cent have had one dose and many who have wanted a vaccine have not been able to source one.

Byron Bay Schoolies getting help to walk home. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

Byron Shire councillor Paul Spooner said the shire needed more support from the state government to get a vaccination hub up and running before schoolies begins in the last week of November.

“We do have a problem with low vaccination, Brad Hazzard is blaming hesitancy, but we need access to vaccines, we need them to support us more. Young people haven’t been able to get vaccinated,” Mr Spooner said.

“Clearly there’s some anti-vaxxers, I’m not denying that but at the same time there hasn’t been focus on areas like our and we are going to get slammed when Sydney opens that’s for sure,” he said, adding Schoolies should be double vaccinated if they plan to visit.

“Absolutely they should be. In our area what does that mean if you are out of lockdown and you are not 70 per cent vaccinated and does that mean you put those people back into lockdown. Kids will bring it up.”

Booking agents schoolies.com is selling tickets to an opening party at the Railway Hotel.

Licensee of The Rails Thomas Rehn said: “We haven’t made a decision whether it will go on or not, it’s a waiting game at this point.”

But Ms Yazdi said they are still taking bookings.

“But I don’t know if any of these parties are going ahead,” she said.

Got a news tip? Email [e-mail]