Cairns election social distancing issues persist
SOCIAL distancing practices are still not up to scratch at Cairns Regional Council prepoll voting booths despite extraordinary measures being put in place.
The State Government has insisted the council elections show must go on despite the COVID-19 crisis.
Voters in Cairns are increasingly heeding health authorities’ 1.5m social distancing rules but on many occasions the advice is still falling flat.
Electoral Commission of Queensland staff at the Cairns Showground booth have improved the situation once voters enter the venue by spraypainting circles on the ground at a sufficient distance from each other.
Voters are advised to go from circle to circle to maintain adequate space – however, the measure is not stopping some residents from bunching up as they queue outside the venue.
Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young had made it clear it was “perfectly safe” to vote.
He said people who were well, not self-isolating and not in quarantine should vote.
“At the moment, you can go shopping, duck into the chemist, drop the kids off at school, get a haircut and pick up a takeaway meal as long as you take precautions,” he said. “And you can vote.
“If you can, take advantage of the opportunity to vote early – it will mean fewer people and shorter queues on Saturday.
“I’d also like to thank all those employers who have encouraged their staff to go and vote early. It will make an enormous difference.”
Dr Young said voters who were healthy could vote early or on election day, this Saturday, and maintain the 1.5m distance.
“Absolutely go and vote … it’s perfectly safe,” she said.
Early voting continues today and tomorrow from 9am to 9pm, Friday from 9am to 6pm and on election day from 8am to 6pm.