MOUNT Gambier City Council and police have praised the community for continuing to flatten the curve following a quiet Easter weekend.
Following firm government warnings and much to the delight of local authorities, residents largely stayed at home and tourists cancelled their holiday plans.
The positive response came as SA Health reported two new cases of COVID-19 in South Australia yesterday, following on from Sunday which was the state’s first day with no new cases since March 10.
Council infrastructure general manager Nick Serle said Mount Gambier residents had played a significant role in achieving the statistics by adhering to the restrictions.
“We had a number of people out checking the open spaces and caravan parks and they were all very quiet,” Mr Serle said, reflecting on the usually bumper holiday period.
“There was not anyone at Frew Park or Umpherston Caves where we have had a few problems over the last couple of weeks, so it has been really pleasing.”
While businesses have closed and playgrounds are among the public spaces to be off-limits, Mr Serle said council was pleased it had not been forced to shut down other iconic spaces in the city.
“We are lucky to have a beautiful landscape in Mount Gambier and our plan is to continue to maintain the parks and gardens,” Mr Serle said.
“As long as people continue to adhere to social-distancing – and Easter was fantastic in that respect – they will remain open as it is good for people’s health.”
Limestone Coast Police conducted a number of quarantine compliance checks over the weekend and operations manager Inspector Campbell Hill said there were no reported incidents.
“We have got people staying at home like they should be and our crews on the borders have had no dramas, so it has been really pleasing,” he said.
“The feedback we have been getting is people are adhering to what has been put in place and the message is getting through.”
Easter is typically a concerning time for police in relation to the region’s roads, however Insp Hill said he was pleased with the lower volume of traffic.
“We still had a designated focus on the roads over the weekend which included conducting drug and alcohol testing,” he said.
“We are seeing a lot less cars on the road and that was no different on the weekend.”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, shopping centres have been a hot-spot for social-distancing concerns, resulting in an increased police presence at those locations.
“Most people have been well-behaved in those centres and malls, but we will continue to maintain a police presence to ensure people are sticking to the recommendations,” Insp Hill said.
“It is all about ensuring people maintain discipline so we can stay on the right path.”
While the community’s response has resulted in a flattening of the curve, Insp Hill urged residents not to become complacent.
“As we have heard from SA Health, the curve is being flattened, but there is no appetite to ease up and we will continue to educate and engage with the community,” he said.
“The goal has not shifted, it is still our mission to continue to flatten the curve.”
