The crisis does however highlight the glaring deficiencies in Eurobodalla's medical services: no ICU beds, no equipment for severe flu or pneumonia contingencies; and no specialist staff in these areas.

The shire has the highest old age demographic in NSW, and is second only to the Gold Coast in Australia; and yet has amongst the worst medical capabilities. Our state government has to make this the highest priority - people are more important than even the holy grail of roads.

The pandemic shows again how our governments can always find money in a crisis. Bega MP Andrew Constance needs to establish a Level 4 hospital in our shire with ICU beds before his term ends. Roads may be important but the care of people is more critical; and given our ageing demographic, is also in the long-term interest of the South Coast.

Governments and many people need to do more than two things at once. There is no shortage of people in Eurobodalla who can relate issues, unfortunate incidents and deaths relating to the lack of Level 4 hospital facilities in the shire. More rich people will also retire here if there are better medical facilities - which will be extremely beneficial for the economy of the South Coast (which needs dollars badly). Is it therefore too much to ask that the NSW Govt can and needs to do both in our shire asap?

It's Monday morning and I'm driving to the butcher listening to our mayor on the radio asking tourists to go to their permanent place of residence due to the strain on our limited resources.

Good luck with that; every second car has Yogi plates. In the butcher I am confronted by groups of people I've never seen before ordering up like there's no tomorrow. You can see the strain placed on the staff. How much food can you idiots store?

An older driver cuts me off with no indication and mimes 'what's wrong with you?'. I notice at least 15 people, from tradies to office workers, standing outside a hole in the wall coffee spot, within inches of each other, some even touching.

Some girls waiting to get into retail premises actually hugged.

What can you say? Most out there are selfish, "who gives a rat's backside, she'll be right" clowns. If you are not going to take this seriously, it will be your downfall.

I hear you all pointing the finger and yet most of you are guilty. Someone who was on a cruise that docked last week and was told to self isolate but decided he knew better and now a business has been forced to close temporarily. There has been an increase in COVID-19 cases in Bega and Eurobodalla shires. What can we expect with the reckless, un-Australian, "I know better" attitude so many are displaying.

Now that we are retired we want to spend as much time as possible at Mossy Point. This summer has been dreadful! From afar we have seen the destruction of the fires and the valiant efforts of the community and its emergency workers to control the damage. Now the fires are over, the focus is on how our beautiful coast can recover.

Letters suggesting we can recover without the money tourists bring are shortsighted. With 501 homes lost in the shire, we lack the resources to effect speedy recovery. If tourists stay away, so does their money.

This does not imply that everybody is welcome, but if we are sensible about tourism, there will be extra money going around which will help in the recovery we so desperately need.

Sick people should not expect stretched health resources will be diverted to them, but surely when they are 2.5 hours from a hospital in Canberra the risk is manageable. Even for "at risk" groups, in which my wife and I fit, providing we are sensible about our health and keep to ourselves, we are no more of a problem than if we stayed in the ACT.

Saying to tourists will only serve to prolong our recovery.

As an observer of criminal activity and one who worked with it, the "salad days" are back. Garden suburbs are just waiting to be plucked.

Just give me areas with closed shops and warehouses full of precursors, tobacco, medications and difficult supply items. No security guards and no police. The police are enforcing social isolation, beach control, immigration custody.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister declares all sorts of emergency measures to deal with the plague; nothing about funeral assistance. What about CentreLink? A national emergency but, it can't stay open after 4.30pm. The website has crashed, so why would they not staff this service for 24 hours?

In February, 22 members of the Classic and Vintage Motor Club of Eurobodalla swapped their historic vehicles for 4WDs, and enjoyed a run through Mogo State Forest. The group was delighted by the abundance of bright green regrowth after the bushfires, showing the forest is recovering wonderfully.