CORNISH NASTY
Cornish council slams ‘ignorant’ tourists refusing to wear masks as thousands hit ‘Benidorm on steroids’ beaches
CORNWALL Council has slammed "ignorant" visitors for refusing to wear masks as thousands descended on beaches this weekend.
Worried locals fear a local lockdown will be enforced and blasted huge crowds for turning the South coast into "Benidorm on steroids".
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Cornwall Council deputy leader Adam Paynter said there are fears in the community of a rise in coronavirus cases due to the inlux of vistors.
He also hit out at "ignorant" tourists who have been refusing to wear masks as they head to the South West to soak up the 37.8C heat.
Speaking on LBC, Councillor Paynter said: "I've heard two different incidents where people have been overheard saying: 'Well, I'm not going to wear a mask.
"I came down here to get away from all of that'.
"I think that's pretty ignorant thinking that coronavirus doesn't exist down here."
Mr Paynter said he has heard reports of visitors shrugging off face covers as they claim they are on holiday to "get away" from the outbreak.
Cornwall has seen "unprecedented" numbers of visitors flocking to its beaches - leaving some locals too scared to leave their homes.
Locals have said they fear the rampage of tourists descending on their towns - and potentially spreading the virus - could lead to a local lockdown.
Popular seaside spots have become overwhelmed with some areas being compared to "Benidorm on steroids" - with tourist bosses estimating 150,000 visitors have headed to Cornwall.
David Hall, 55, who runs surf shop Wind & Sea Surfing Centre in St Ives, said the number of people out on the streets is "unmanageable";.
He said: "We need to avoid a local lockdown, and I don't feel like the council have done enough."
Ian Goodman, of Perranporth, Cornwall, added: "We are going to be in trouble soon, Perranporth is heaving.
"Roads are all blocked and no-one cares. I am talking tourists here."
Local resident Dave Gambrill added: "Cornwall will be locked down again very soon. We're all doomed."
Government officials have the power to impose local lockdowns in bid to stamp out any coronavirus outbreaks, such as the restrictions that were imposed on Leicester.
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has so far recorded 512 cases of coronavirus - but daily cases tripled last week as tourists flooded in.
Brits have also been pictured hitting the beaches in their thousands in Southend, Brighton and Bournemouth as fears loom over a potential second wave.
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Carpenter Luke Davies, 39, of Falmouth, Cornwall, said: "If the world and his wife carry on coming down to beaches from every corner of the UK, then a local lockdown seems almost inevitable.
"After you saw what happened in the likes of Leceister, surely it is only a matter of time."
He added: "Tourists are obviously needed for the economy, but what price is put on the health of local residents?"
Another Cornish resident, Richard Sedgley, posted on Twitter: "I would not be surprised if lockdown is reinstated here in Cornwall soon."
Kit Hartop, from Cornwall, also tweeted he had "never seen anything like it" and added "we simply don't have the infrastructure to cope".
Other locals pleaded with the Government to introduce measures - with one tweeting "please put a local lockdown on Cornwall. This is our home".
Julian Price, 45, who manages Ticket To Ride Surf School on Perranporth Beach, said there is "no social distancing" as tourists descend on Cornwall.
A 66-year-old grandmother-of-two from Falmouth, who asked not to be named, said the situation was "terrifying" and tourists seem to think there is no coronavirus in the county.
She added: "I think the only thing that works is the fear factor, it’s putting the fear of God into them about what could happen if they do not social distance.
"I think Britain has become too free. This virus should be treated more like a plague, or a war.
"What is more important – the tourist board getting a bit of money, or people’s lives?"
Another local added: "Really scary seeing that Cornwall is actually busier than usual summers but we aren't being locked down."
Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged Brits to enjoy staycations in the UK as summer holidays took a blow amid rising case counts in Europe.
Cornwall relies on tourism - and the sector contributes millions of pounds to its economy every year.
Yesterday, mercury hit 37.8C in London - making it the third-hottest day in the UK ever as Brits swarmed beaches along the coast.
However, with highs of 35C expected next weekend, the crowds in Cornwall don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.
Royden Paynter, harbour master at Mousehole, said: "Suddenly we've been hit with a stampede.
"Everybody is a bit more stressed this year - they don't move out of your way."
It comes as an extra £500,000 was given to Devon and Cornwall Police in July to help the community manage the pandemic this summer.
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Malcolm Bell, CEO of Visit Cornwall, said that the tourist board is trying to strike a delicate balance between keeping people safe, and rebuilding Cornwall's tourism sector.
He said: "I've been keeping an eye on lots of places, and it's certainly been busy. For locals it probably feels very busy.
"It probably seems quite daunting for locals because if you're at street level, walking along in a crowd and looking straight ahead, you can't really tell that there's social distancing going on ahead of you.
"But if you look at it from above, you can see that people actually are keeping apart."
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Mr Johnson has insisted the UK is taking "every reasonable step" to prepare for a surge in virus cases - and some lockdown easing measures have been slowed down.
The PM said he was "squeezing the brake pedal" after the number of cases in the UK has begun to creep up - with 880 new cases on July 31, the highest since the end of June.
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He had been keen to try get life back to normal as shops and pubs reopened while people were urged to get back to work following three months of lockdown first introduced in March.
The UK's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance meanwhile has warned of a "risk" of a new lockdown required come the winter.
Tourists flock to Cornwall to make the most of the sun as locals say ‘they’re too SCARED to go out’
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