coronavirus,

South Coast police will carry out random checks of Canberra drivers and others with interstate licence plates in a bid to prevent tourists travelling to the area during the coronavirus outbreak. As the Easter long weekend and school holidays approach, those in normal holiday hot spots have expressed concern travellers will continue to visit destinations on the South Coast and the Snowy Mountains. This is despite official health warnings and government advice to stay at home and cut out non-essential travel to prevent COVID-19 from spreading. Eurobodalla Shire mayor Liz Innes said many residents in the community were concerned about Canberrans and other tourists visiting the area and defying coronavirus measures. "The message we want to give out is please don't come to the coast at this time," Ms Innes said. "What police are doing is randomly stopping anyone with out-of-state number plates, and even NSW plates day-to-day if they don't seem to go about with purpose. "There are still some people not heeding requests to stay away, and we all have a role to play." Ms Innes pleaded with Canberrans to stay home during the holiday period, even if they have a holiday home in the area. "People might think they can come down, but they would still need to use our service stations, supermarkets and takeaways," she said. "The less people there are out and about, the more chance we have to stem the spread and people need to take this seriously." Calls for Canberrans to stay away from holiday locations have been repeated from ACT health authorities. ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said calls for Canberrans to stay away from the coast should be there not just for Easter but for the weeks and months ahead. "[The South Coast] does not need 100,000 Canberrans moving down there or 1000," he said. "Please, Canberrans, stay home and do the right thing." Acting ACT chief health officer Dr Vanessa Johnston said on Tuesday Easter should be celebrated at home this year. "We need to find new ways to celebrate this traditional holiday period with loved ones," she said. "Please stay home this Easter long weekend. Do not think it is safe to travel down the coast or interstate or gather with family and friends." Similar calls were also made in the Snowy Mountains and Australia's ski resorts. Despite snow falling in alpine areas last weekend, visitors have been advised those areas would off limits. A Thredbo spokeswoman said accommodation were not accepting any new bookings for the foreseeable future. "We're only seeing residents and property owners in town," the spokeswoman said. "We trust the public will be sensible in in heeding the government's orders." READ MORE: In Jindabyne, hotel owners have reported the only visitors in recent days have been essential workers and that tourists were largely listening to advice to stay home. However, Teresa Dunn from Lake Jindabyne Hotel said she had noticed a few out-of-towners in supermarkets and other areas. "Most of the tourists have stopped. We only have two rooms booked and they're both tradesmen doing essential work," she said. "We are finding that most people are listening as far as the health advice is concerned." Cameron McKid, one of the owners of the Banjo Paterson Inn in Jindabyne, said the town had been very quiet in the past few weeks. "I'd rather knock the virus on the head as quick as we can. The less people in the area, the better," he said. Our COVID-19 news articles relating to public health and safety are free for anyone to access. However, we depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support. If you're looking to stay up to date on COVID-19, you can also sign up for our twice-daily digest here.

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