Queensland tourists ignore isolation instructions to attend Street Eats Franko food market

Travellers from a COVID-19 hot spot have ignored instructions to isolate and instead headed out to sample fine Tasmania fare at a local food market.

• Tassie keeping a close eye on COVID-19 hot spots
• Mass texting blitz highlights coronavirus risks

BRISBANE travellers turned up to a Hobart market event despite government instructions to isolate.

Authorities alerted greater Brisbane arrivals of their requirements to isolate on Friday after Tasmania declared five local government areas as high-risk locations for COVID-19.

More than 5000 Queensland arrivals into Tasmania since January 2 received government text messages telling them to isolate, but entry checks into twilight Hobart food event Street Eats @ Franko on Friday found some Brisbane travellers saying they were unaware of the rules.

All recent arrivals from the Queensland high-risk areas were turned away at the gates upon arrival, event organiser Madi Seeber-Peattie said.

“I was quite surprised by the number of people from Queensland who turned up and didn’t know of the requirements,” she said.

“I’m aware of some interstate arrivals who received a text message so perhaps the ones that said they didn’t were out of range.

“I do have confidence in the government systems in place but nothing is foolproof. We know through all our own communications that it’s difficult to reach everybody in one place.”

Patrons enjoy the Street Eats @ Franko market in 2019. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

Ms Seeber-Peattie said event organisers had received positive patron and trader feedback since a $5.50 entry free, to cover COVID-safe protocols, was introduced at the previously free event.

She said the entry fee and ticketing system allowed one of the event staff to contact about 50 Queenslanders who had booked event tickets to determine if they were able to attend.

“The support for the ticketing system has been overwhelming and customers now have assurances in the systems we have in place,” she said.

A social media post informing patrons of the decision was met with a positive response.

What's the $5.50 entry fee for? This is a very common question asked of us and, communicating the rationale behind it...

Posted by Street Eats Franko on Friday, 8 January 2021

“$5.50 is nothing when everyone is kept safe during these unknown times,” event patron Rachel Bresnehan wrote.

Food truck trader Brittany Guy agreed.

“As someone working on a food truck, thank you to the whole Franko team for keeping us all as safe as possible every week,” she said.

A state government spokesman said text messages were an “important, practical and efficient tool” to communicate with recent Tasmanian arrivals.

“We are confident that in the course of the day, the various communications from the Tasmanian government, as well as the widespread coverage on social media, mainstream media and numerous websites, would have ensured that the key messages reached the vast majority of intended recipients, and that any incomplete understanding of the changes were addressed,” a spokesman said.

“As we continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is often necessary to make prompt decisions about measures to protect the Tasmanian community.

“We would also like to thank the organisers of the event for their thorough response to an announcement made earlier on Friday.”