Sunshine Coast Council urges holiday travellers to stay at home

Sunshine Coast Council is advising Easter holidaymakers to postpone any planned visit to the region, in line with the nationwide effort to slow the spread of the Coronavirus outbreak.

Sunshine Coast Council Mayor and Local Disaster Management Group Chair Mark Jamieson said all levels of government and the nation’s leading health advisors had made it clear that everyone should stay at home unless shopping for essentials, receiving medical care, undertaking daily exercise or attending work or education that could not be undertaken from home.

Mayor Jamieson advised “my message is simple, ‘stay home.

“Now is not the time to travel for a holiday, for meetings, or to spend the day at the beach.

“The safest thing you can do right now is stay in your own community.”

Explaining that he was particularly worried about residents north and south of the Sunshine Coast visiting over the upcoming Easter break and posing a significant public health risk, Mayor Jamieson stated “we need every Sunshine Coast resident to spread the word.

“Tell your friends and families not to come to the Sunshine Coast this long weekend.

“Public health and our community’s safety are more important at this time than recreation.

“Stay home. When the time is right, we will once again roll out the welcome mat – but now is not that time.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, our number one priority must be to protect our local residents.

“Our Sunshine Coast is unwavering and unapologetic in its enforcement of social distancing requirements and the national public health directions.”

Mayor Jamieson said the Queensland Police Service would patrol beaches, parks, nature reserves and public areas and anyone flouting the rules risked being fined, adding “large numbers of people congregating could force more facilities to close.

“Under the home confinement public health direction a person who resides in Queensland must not leave their principal place of residence except for necessary permitted purposes. This does not include leisure travel.

“Queenslanders should stay in their homes and should not travel. Now is not the time for people to leave their local area.

“This public health direction is currently in place until 19 May 2020 and may be extended further.”

Image: Sunshine Coast Council is asking holidaymakers to halt their plans to travel to the Coast this Easter.