VULNERABLE communities in rural and remote parts of Australia are being exposed to an increased risk of COVID-19 by tourists who refuse to follow hygiene guidelines, one NSW pharmacist believes.
In a post on the Rural Pharmacy Network Australia Facebook page, Bourke-based Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) 2019 Pharmacist of the Year Award winner, Peter Crothers, expressed his frustration with travellers' poor behaviour.
"The grey nomads have been driving us mad the last three weeks, with their demands for multiple repeats and disregard for infection control," he said.
Speaking to Pharmacy Daily, Crothers described the attitudes of some travellers, including grey nomads, towards COVID safety measures as "confronting" for the community.
"We have a sanitisation station at the entrance of our pharmacy and a limit on the number of people in the pharmacy," he said.
"Local people are willing to wait patiently outside, but the visitors are a bit more likely to ignore that and push on in, without sanitising their hands.
"Our community is 40% Aboriginal, and they understand they're vulnerable and the rest of the community takes that on board to protect them."
Crothers noted that the northern NSW town's camping facilities were stretched to capacity adding pressure on local infrastructure including pharmacy services, with tourists coming in for prescriptions.
"It's very confronting for a community that's highly aware of its vulnerability," he said.
"Most travellers are well intentioned... [but] we've had a fair bit of pressure for extra repeats... [people] being pushy and demanding.
"We're not used to that.
"Our priority is our own people."
Crothers said many in the town would support the introduction of police-enforced restrictions to ensure tourists comply with COVID safety measures.
"There's a sub-group of people who are clearly determined to get across the Queensland border by whatever means," he said.
"People have openly enquired if there are any back roads to cross the Queensland border illegally."
Pictured, a make-shift toilet left behind by one tourist near Bourke, courtesy of the RPNA Facebook group.
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