Coronavirus Australia: Anger when people flock to Melbourne’s beaches on a sunny day

A sunny winter’s day has proved too tempting for the thousands of Melburnians who flocked to the beach yesterday despite a desperate plea from Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to stay inside.

The prime minister issued not one, but two appeals to those in the blockade of stage 4 yesterday, but it appears to have fallen on deaf ears.

Images and photos shared online show a crowded St. Kilda, filled with people without masks and “gathered in groups.”

Temperatures peaked at 20 ° C, a situation Andrews described as “disappointing” amid fears that the hot weather could tempt people out of lockdown.

During yesterday’s press conference to discuss the virus figures, he again addressed residents, urging them to “do the right thing.”

“Today is a beautiful sunny day and I’m just saying to people, we want to get to the other side of this and allow people to enjoy all the things Melbourne and Victoria are famous for,” Andrews said.

“No one today, please, please, don’t do anything today that could undermine this strategy.

“Please do not do anything, do not make decisions that could contribute to the spread of this virus.”

A Twitter user shared a photo of a “populated beach in St Kilda”, claiming that no police were present.

“Yesterday there were many idiots without a mask on the crowded beach #StKilda,” he wrote. “Some gathered in groups, drinking and others with the masks that were left around their necks.”

Images captured by 9 News show people lying on the sand, licking the sun, while others gathered in groups, some with the mandatory masks placed around their necks.

“How is this real life?” a frustrated person wrote on Twitter, adding that Victoria police were “targeting those who were doing the wrong thing.”

Others commented on the situation online, writing “We are all doomed. Third wave.”

But some defended those who had gone outside, saying, “Expecting them to stay indoors on a beautiful day is neither reasonable nor feasible.”

Victoria recorded 94 new virus cases yesterday and 18 deaths, bringing the death toll to 514 in the state.