Residents of Pacific Palms and Seal Rocks will be hoping that a public health order introduced by the NSW Government on Tuesday, March 31 will stem the flow of visitors choosing to self-isolate in their picturesque beachside communities.
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The townships have been hit by large numbers of visitors two weekends in a row, with some comparing the crowds to peak holiday season.
While many businesses in the area rely on tourism to survive, the prevailing concern is that the visitors could increase the risk of COVID-19 spreading through the communities, particularly given that many people have been travelling up from metropolitan areas.
I don't think the answer to this virus is people from the city migrating to the country where we have limited hospital resources already.
- Dan Scott
Seal Rocks resident, Dr Keith Bishop, said the influx of people on the weekend of March 21-22 was unbelievable, leaving business-owners and community members very concerned.
"It was ridiculously busy at Seal Rocks," he said.
"Like the worst Easter or post-Boxing Day crowds."
Dr Bishop said in response to the influx an anonymous resident had erected a sign drawing attention to the issue.
Similar signs had also been erected at Boomerang Beach.
Some out-of-towners have even been brazen enough to contact local home-owners on Airbnb and ask to rent their properties at reduced rates.
Charlotte Bay resident, Dan Scott, who rents his house out on Airbnb during summer, said he was shocked to receive a request from a group of six Sydney-siders asking to rent his property for a week for less than half the advertised price.
"Given the current situation we are all experiencing and just in case we are restricted to stay in Sydney, we were wondering if you would consider reducing the rate during these uncertain times. We totally understand this is a significant reduction and do not wish to offend you, we are purely just trying to find some downtime during this stressful time in Sydney but be cautious about spending money in such an uncertain time and were advised that coastal home-owners may appreciate us reaching out," the request read.
Mr Scott said while his response was tactful, he made a point of telling the group their request didn't adhere to the current government guidelines and also had the potential to put a small community with many elderly residents in it at risk.
Following some enquiries, he found out other property-owners in the area had received similar requests.
"I don't think the answer to this virus is people from the city migrating to the country where we have limited hospital resources already," Mr Scott said.
"I'm not a regionalist or a protectionist but I think in a coastal area like this we have to be very careful."
On Friday, March 27, Pacific Palms Signature Properties put a block on taking holiday rental bookings until the end of July. They have also been refunding all cancelled holiday bookings.
Licensee, Greg Hope, said the business had taken the measure to discourage visitors and also relieve some of the economic pressures people were facing.
"We're trying to prevent a further problem but also respect people's finanacial burdens," Mr Hope said.
"It's about sharing the load among all businesses and trying to do the right thing."
Mr Hope believed the number of visitors to the area had reduced between the weekends of March 21-22 and March 28-29.
However, while Boomerang Beach Boardriders president, Adam Salt, agreed there had been an overall reduction among visitors between the two weekends, he said the amount of surfers coming up to the local beaches had been outrageous on both occasions.
"It's getting chaotic, the amount of people who are coming up here," he said.
"It's been as busy as it is around a peak holiday time in the water."
Mr Salt said most local surfers were unimpressed with the influx, not only because it was crowding the lineups, but because it also showed that many people weren't taking the coronavirus seriously.
"If people are fleeing their area then it's going to have an effect on us," he said.
The public health order introduced by the NSW Government stipulates that people who leave their place of residence without a reasonable excuse - such as for the purposes of work, exercise, obtaining food or other essential supplies, or medical reasons - can face up to an $11,000 fine or six months imprisonment.
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