Boomers flee locked down Melbourne as part of mass exodus

Baby Boomers in Victoria did not mess around when they heard the state was going into lockdown yesterday, with many making a quick dash for the exit.

Baby Boomers in Victoria have packed up their things and fled over the border as part of a mass exodus to avoid lockdown in the coronavirus-stricken state yesterday.

Annette and Peter Kirby’s grey nomad was among the convoy making a last-minute dash for the exit yesterday, after deciding on their escape plan midway through a lawn bowls game as they heard of the impending lockdown.

“We were pretty complacent. We thought [Melbourne] wasn’t going to go into lockdown again so soon,” 78-year-old Ms Kirby told The Australian.

“Then we got a bit worried yesterday when we saw that South Australia was going to shut out Melburnians. We were playing lawn bowls and we thought we better get out. It’s devastating to think this has occurred.”

When The Australian spoke to them yesterday, they were racing towards the NSW border to make the 4pm cut-off time, and believed they could make it.

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Peter and Annette Kirby hit the road after hearing about the lockdown. Picture: Aaron Francis/The Australian

They were planning to holiday in virus-free Queensland on a 12-week trip anyway, but brought it forward by three days. Both have been vaccinated and were hopeful they might be ­exempt from further restrictions.

Frankston couple David and Sandy Runkel had similar plans. They originally planned to drive their caravan to the north coast of NSW this weekend, but decided to leave on Thursday when talk of a lockdown began.

Ms Runkel, who is a nurse, was able to take annual leave to start their four-week trip to NSW early. She told Nine Newspapers a holiday was “absolutely needed” after the stress of 2020.

“It was a harrowing year last year,” she said.

The couple later said they had made it across the border into NSW.

Hundreds of families in Victoria loaded up the car and hit the road yesterday.

“We thought we’d get out of Melbourne as quick as possible,” Kathy Paul told 9 News.

Travelling with family, the group were hoping to make it to Deniliquin in NSW.

At the airport, holiday-makers tried their luck at escaping despite Qantas and Virgin cancelling more than 25 flights in and out of Melbourne.

Several flights out of Melbourne were cancelled yesterday. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

All states and territories apart from NSW have closed their borders to Victoria after the number of community cases there grew to 26 yesterday. Victorian arrivals to NSW will be forced to isolate for seven days.

As of this morning, Victoria has moved into lockdown restrictions, with just five reasons to leave home, including getting food and supplies, authorised work, care and caregiving, exercise for up to two hours each day with one other person, and getting vaccinated.

The “circuit breaker” lockdown will be in place until 11.59pm on June 3, with the following restrictions also coming into effect:

• You must remain within a 5km radius of your home when shopping or exercising, unless your closest shops are further away.

• Masks must be worn everywhere other than your home, both indoors and outdoors, unless an exemption applies.

• There are to be no visitors to your home unless it is an intimate partner. However, single bubbles will be permitted, with people living alone allowed to make a bubble with one other person.

• Public gatherings will be banned.

• Restaurants, pubs and cafes can provide takeaway only. Essential retail, supermarkets, food stores, petrol stations, banks, bottle shops and pharmacies, other retail stores can provide click and collect.

• Schools will move to remote learning, except for vulnerable children and children of authorised workers. Higher education will also move to remote learning.

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Acting Premier James Merlino. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

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• Childcare will remain open.

• Funerals will be limited to a maximum of 10 people plus those running the service.

• Weddings cannot proceed unless end of life or deportation reasons apply.

• Religious activities will not proceed other than through broadcast with a maximum of five people.

• Approved professional sporting events will proceed but crowds will not be permitted.

• Hotels, clubs, TABs and casinos will be closed.

• Indoor and outdoor entertainment venues, swimming pools, spas, saunas, community venues, drive-in cinemas and amusements parks, creative studios, art galleries and museums will all be closed.

• Aged care visitors will only be allowed for limited reasons. Hospitals will only allow visitors for end of life situations, to support a partner during birth, or a parent accompanying a child.