Locals fear coronavirus might spread from hotspots to Phillip Island
Phillip Island locals fear people heading to their holiday houses to avoid lockdown may spread coronavirus into their community, saying the influx of city slickers is just as bad as the Christmas rush.
South East
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There are fears people are travelling from coronavirus hotspots to their holiday houses in regional Victoria to avoid lockdown.
Locals in Phillip Island and surrounding areas have noticed a massive influx of people over the past 48 hours, likening it to the Christmas period.
Kurt Caddy from Grantville, just outside Phillip Island, said there was a significant number of people making their way through Grantville to their holiday houses.
“It was a ridiculous amount, traffic was banked right back to the lights here in Grantville as they made their way down the coast,” he said.
“It’s like the Christmas rush.”
Mr Caddy also helps with the Bass Coast Neighbourhood Watch and said its Facebook page had been inundated with messages from concerned locals.
“They’re worried if there is another outbreak it might be down here because for all we know these people have travelled from the hotspots,” he said.
“They’re asking what we should be doing because we don’t want to be the next area in lockdown.”
Mr Caddy said a lot of people were being ignorant and selfish and had noticed large groups of people going to cafes and meeting outside shop fronts, not abiding by social distancing regulations.
“There are ridiculous gatherings and you can’t go through shops without bumping into people now, and local supermarkets are running thin on essential stuff,” he said.
“I think they’ll stay down here as long as they need to protect themselves, maybe six weeks and more.
“The argument they pay rates so should be able to stay here is ridiculous when it’s a matter of public health.”
Phillip Island’s Ricardo Barfuss said the arrival of people to their holiday houses and with caravans was very worrying.
“I don’t see any taking Covid seriously either,” he said.
“For example, I spend some time having a coffee by the water and saw many tourists, at least 20-odd, touching the same handrail with bare hands over 15 minutes.
“I also have a holiday house opposite mine with four vehicles and at least six people in it that have been there for a few days now.”
Meanwhile, Mornington Peninsula Shire Mayor Sam Hearn said locking down the peninsula would create more risk than if it was excluded given it has no active cases.
“Our fears were realised when we had back-to-back traffic coming down here on the main freeway last night and significant numbers in our townships,” he said on ABC.
“So, we’re also kind of requesting that enforcement and active presence from Victoria Police to kind of address what’s really a big concern.
“We’re very worried with the state’s second highest population over the age of 65, that our big risk is actually being included in these lockdowns, rather than Melburnians knowing that the peninsula is not the place to be becoming at this point in time.
“We did see a lot of people coming down here in the first wave of restrictions to stay in their holiday homes.
“At the time we were strongly messaging that “stay at home” except for four reasons meant you shouldn’t be coming here.
“The Premier has been stronger on being in your primary place of residents. We hope that is enforced effectively. But even day trips are a risk to us.”
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