Hamilton Island cancels day trips, holiday bookings due to staff shortages
Hamilton Island in Queensland's Whitsundays has cancelled day trips as businesses struggle with staff shortages due to COVID-19 isolation rules.
All arrivals and bookings for Hamilton Island-managed guest houses have been cancelled for the coming two weeks.
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For many, trips to Hamilton Island have been cancelled due to the effect of staff shortages on several island businesses. Supplied
In a statement, a spokesperson said while many businesses and services had been impacted, the island was still open to visitors.
"Hamilton Island is still very much open for business, even as our community along with much of Australia, continues to deal with the challenges of COVID-19," the statement said.
Hospitality services and housekeeping for accommodation has been particularly hard hit, with several staff members in isolation.
"This is undoubtedly very disappointing news to visitors who had planned stay on Hamilton Island in holiday homes and we offer our deepest apologies to those affected," the statement said.
Many hotels have already been operating at limited capacity and the number of activities available on the island will be reduced for the coming weeks.
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Several businesses, from hotels to restaurants have been impacted. Credit: Qualia Supplied Qualia
Day trips to the popular island have also been cancelled. Supplied
Several Queensland restaurants have also been forced to temporarily close.
Guests staying at holiday homes not run by Hamilton Island management have been asked to contact their booking agent, while those already on Hamilton Island will be notified of any changes impacting their stay.
Several other businesses around the state are facing similar issues, with venues adapting to staffing pressures in their busiest time of the year.
Venues around Queensland are struggling to stay open, as staff members are forced to isolate. Nine
Tim Glasson, manager of popular Brisbane restaurant Hellenika, is feeling the pressure.
"It's always going to have a big impact, especially at the is time of year. It's peak trading period," Mr Glasson said.
"We've had people who have tested positive but the majority are in isolation."
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Restaurants staying open have been forced to reduce their opening hours. Nine
Business operators of another popular Queensland tourism destination have also been forced to reduce their offerings.
"We had a major tourism operator that had 120 of their team members call in sick that are now waiting to be tested, as a result they're at 40 per cent capacity," Destination Gold Coast's Patricia O'Callaghan said.
"The pathway to recovery is simply turning into a pathway of closure."
From tomorrow, PCR tests will no longer be required to confirm if someone has COVID-19.
A positive rapid antigen test will suffice, and in Queensland, will be available at testing clinics free of charge.
The state government hopes the new rules will alleviate the pressure on on testing queues, and on businesses.
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