Islanders emerge from Lockdown #5

Businesses reopened their doors and people got back to the business of catching up with friends, as we emerged from lockdown.

Phillip Island Leisure Centre’s Eddy Wallis gave gym junkies a warm reception last week.

“It was a pleasant surprise to open because gyms are normally held back after coming out of lockdown,” Eddy said.

“Everyone was in such a slump during lockdown and some said they couldn’t even be motivated to walk. So on day one, everyone is very happy to be back.”

Phillip Island Ten Pin Bowling owner Jeremy Westaway opened a day after most businesses last week, because he was still in quarantine.

The bowling alley was a Tier1 exposure site, with four out of their six staff in quarantine until midnight last Wednesday.

“We’re super proud of our team for coming out the other side without any cases, which means they followed all procedures correctly, as did the Covid-positive case when he visited here,” Jeremy said.

Business partner Craig Holmes was not working on the day the case visited, but was nevertheless in quarantine for visiting another exposure site on the island.

“I came out of quarantine a day earlier but it took me one day just to reschedule all our events and reorganise here because the deep clean had scattered stuff everywhere,” Craig said.

The duo said while lockdowns hurt the business, the pandemic more broadly had seen business boom.

“Because people can’t travel there’s more coming here to visit and moving to the island too,” Jeremy said.