Great Ocean Road campgrounds ban visitors from six Melbourne coronavirus hotspots - ABC News

An accommodation provider in regional Victoria that banned visitors from six Melbourne coronavirus hotspots, cancelling bookings just days out from the school holidays, has revoked their decision and will now allow all travellers to stay.

Key points:

• Caravan parks in Torquay, Lorne and Anglesea have cancelled bookings from anyone living in six Melbourne councils deemed coronavirus hotspots
• They made the decision to protect small coastal communities, their staff and other visitors
• Victoria's Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said it's OK for people to leave Melbourne but they should not mix with any friends or family they don't normally see

The Great Ocean Road Coast Committee (GORCC), which runs popular caravan parks in the beachside towns of Torquay, Anglesea and Lorne, had introduced new restrictions for anyone living in identified coronavirus hotspots.

That included the suburban Melbourne council areas of Hume, Casey, Brimbank, Moreland, Cardinia and Darebin.

In a statement on their website, GORCC said the decision was made to protect small coastal communities.

"To protect the health and safety of our staff, visitors and coastal communities, we will not be taking upcoming bookings, and will be cancelling all current bookings, from guests that live in the identified hotspot council areas," the statement said.

The parks' management were worried travellers from Melbourne hotspots could spread COVID-19 into their small towns.(ABC News: Steven Schubert)

"We will be contacting guests from these areas with current bookings to cancel their booking in the coming days."

But this afternoon they reversed the decision, saying all Melbourne travellers were now welcome.

"We have now updated our decision based on advice from the Chief Health Officer and will welcome all guests, including our 12-month permit holders back into our parks," GORCC said in a Facebook post.

"But please remember, if you feel unwell you should stay at home. If you have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), however mild, you should get tested. It's up to all of us to make this work."

The popular caravan parks had cancelled upcoming bookings but reversed the decision on Wednesday afternoon.(ABC News: Steven Schubert)

Victoria's Chief Health Officer says it's OK to travel

There has been confusion and mixed messages about whether or not people in Melbourne can travel for the school holidays, which begin this weekend for government schools.

Coronavirus update: Follow all the latest news in our daily wrap.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian yesterday advised businesses in her state not to accept bookings from people from Melbourne.

Professor Brett Sutton said travelling with people you normally see is OK these school holidays.(AAP: Michael Dodge)

But Victoria's Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton today said it was safe for people to leave Melbourne provided they were not sick and were not mixing with people they did not normally see.

"Going out of town is OK," he said.

"Families who want to leave Melbourne, that's OK.

"[But] if you're unwell you shouldn't be going anywhere. You should be at home, you should be getting your test, getting your result."

Professor Sutton said some holiday settings were a higher risk than others.

"It is less of a risk if they're going from a residential setting in Melbourne to a holiday home as a family," he said.

"But if you're mixing with people you don't normally see, multiple families, multiple groups of friends, that's something I think people need to reconsider."

Victoria Police have already flagged that they will be targeting high-risk holiday spots, including campgrounds and caravan parks, to ensure people are not mixing in large groups.

Read more about the coronavirus outbreak in Victoria:

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA2LTI0L2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWhvdHNwb3QtbWVsYm91cm5lLXRvdXJpc3RzLWJhbm5lZC1mcm9tLWNhcmF2YW4tcGFya3MvMTIzODcyNTLSASdodHRwczovL2FtcC5hYmMubmV0LmF1L2FydGljbGUvMTIzODcyNTI?oc=5

2020-06-24 03:39:00Z
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