Communities on the South Coast are urging Canberrans to stay away even if they own property there.
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Local people fear city people will bring the virus and the resulting epidemic will overwhelm the region's limited hospitals.
"At Bawley Point over the weekend, the car park was full of Canberra number plates," the mayor of Shoalhaven, Amanda Findley, said.
"The mere fact that they are here, and people can tell that they are here, is upsetting people."
She is also angry that a holiday rental company has been offering "self-isolation packages" in the region.
"For those wanting to get away from the city and suburbs we can offer self-isolation package holidays in rural bushland settings or beachside locations," Holiday Rental Specialists advertises on its website.
"You'll enjoy thoroughly cleansed and disinfected self-contained cottages," it adds. Food would be left at the door.
The company refused to discuss its offer with the The Canberra Times.
The mayor, whose region covers some of the South Coast resorts favoured by Canberrans said she had written to the company saying: "My people are highly concerned about people coming to our area and bringing the disease with them."
Two groups of Canberrans appear to be behaving in opposite ways: some of those with second homes are heading south while those who might go to hotels or caravan and camping sites are cancelling.
The president of the Batemans Bay Business and Tourism Chamber said that last week everybody booked into her motel had cancelled.
Over the weekend, Alison Miers lost $60,000 in trade. She has 87 per cent occupancy throughout the year but "it went to zero in two days".
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She urged Canberrans to stay away, not least because there were no intensive care unit beds in the region. Seriously ill people were flown to Canberra.
And with gatherings now confined to two people even on the beach, a visit to the South Coast was not going to be a holiday.
"Businesses are suffering beyond belief," she said - but people should still not come. "If everyone stays at home, we can cut it shorter."
The call to Canberrans to stay away has been echoed by doctors, who fear an influx could overwhelm them and the health system.
"We implore everybody to not travel to the South Coast at this time," Dr Anthony Stevenson said.
"During the current shut-down of services, we implore you to avoid non-essential travel and to remain in your local communities where you are safer and where you have appropriate access to health care in Canberra or Queanbeyan."
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