Get back to office push
TOWNSVILLE Chamber of Commerce is calling on the State Government to allow office workers to return to work in the CBD to prevent the closure of more small businesses.
The Government is directing people to work from home where they can, while Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week said people could continue to work from home “if it works for you and your employer”.
Chamber president Michele Falconieri said it made sense for people to return to workplaces as restrictions were being eased.
“Trade such as getting a takeaway coffee, picking up some lunch or buying a gift simply does not happen if office workers are forced to continue to work from home,” Mr Falconieri said.
“Provided that social distancing and other health precautions are observed by businesses, it makes economic sense to permit people to leave their home to attend work, even if it can be performed remotely.”
Sandwich Express operator David Cheslett said only about 20 per cent of office workers were working in the city at present, which was hurting his trade significantly.
“Flinders St does not have much walk-through traffic. We rely on office workers, that’s what hurts us,” he said.
“The CBD is struggling as it is. We had a light at the end of a tunnel with the stadium. Now we are back with this again.”
Deputy Premier and Health Minister Steven Miles said there were currently no restrictions stopping people from going to work in the Townsville CBD but they were encouraging people to continue to work at home if possible.
Mr Falconieri said the region had now had more than 30 days without a COVID-19 case reported.
“Many businesses acted swiftly, repositioning themselves to work remotely to reduce the economic impact for their business,” he said.
“Unfortunately, it seems those businesses that took steps to survive the pandemic are now caught in a position which prevents them from returning to their offices.”
Mr Miles said case numbers were not the only consideration.
“The number of people in quarantine is also a vital factor,” he said. “There are still almost 50 people in quarantine in Townsville, which means they have the potential to have and spread the virus.
“Lifting restrictions too quickly could see outbreaks in regional centres like Townsville. The Government’s decisions are based on the advice of the chief health officer.”