Readers vote to keep Tasmania’s borders closed for the time being

While Premier Peter Gutwein stands firm in his decision to keep Tasmania’s borders closed, nearly 2000 readers have voted in our poll to end the lockdown. SEE THE RESULTS

It’s a question on so many Tasmanians’ lips as the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown continue to strangle local businesses and tourism operators: When will our borders reopen to travellers?

A Mercury poll saw almost 2000 people vote on whether we should reopen now, with the overwhelming majority saying the borders should remain closed.

It’s an issue that’s caused contention this week, as Hawthorn president and ex-Victorian premier Jeff Kennett called on Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein to open for the Hawks to play games in Launceston.

READ MORE: What COVID-19 restrictions have eased in Tasmania today?

“Tasmania relies desperately on Victorians to come down and visit the island state,’’ Mr Kennett said.

“If you keep the borders closed, you’re cutting your nose off to spite your face.”

But Mr Gutwein wasn’t having it, saying he would “take the advice of Public Health experts, and not Jeff Kennett’s, as to when it’s appropriate to open our borders”.

Mr Gutwein is likely to set a date for opening borders on June 26.

Do you think it's time to open Tasmania's borders? A war of words has reached boiling point as pressure mounts for the Premier to set a re-opening date. STORY: https://bit.ly/37z5BFY

Posted by The Mercury Newspaper on Monday, 15 June 2020

For many of the Mercury readers who voted in the poll, they believed the borders should remain closed to all states that are not yet coronavirus-free like Tasmania.

“(We should open) only to places that have no cases like Tassie, definitely not to Victoria and NSW because they are still recording plenty of cases,” Daniel Felmingham said.

Others were worried opening the borders prematurely would undo the great work Tasmania has done in warding off the virus.

Stephen Gough's funny take on the border debate.

“Keep them shut until closer to the end of the year,” Glenys Cruickshank said. “Not enough people are adhering to the social distancing restrictions and we are in danger of a second wave of the virus.”

More than 1300 people voted on the Mercury’s Facebook poll, and a further 570 people voted via another website poll asking the same question.

The Facebook poll saw 78% of respondents voting ‘no’, and 59% answering no on the website.

Rather than open borders to interstate travellers, James Smith said it would be more prudent to ease local business restrictions first.

“(It would) give us a chance to get our businesses going again,” he said.

“Plenty of time to let others into the state when they are all COVID-19 free like we are at the moment. The risk to let others in is realistically too great at the moment.”

On the other side of the coin, some readers were adamant the borders need to open sooner rather than later for the sake of the economy.

“We need to open up for next summer season or we will never recover,” Steven Mallows said.