Neil Mitchell’s theory about COVID-19 tests to visit the snow

Melburnians visiting the ski fields will be required to have a COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departing the city and show a negative result when they arrive.

Neil Mitchell suspects the strategy is a “little experiment” to see how people react to the idea of mandatory testing in order to take part in certain activities.

“What we’re doing in insisting people going to the snow have a COVID test before they go, is sort of road testing,” the 3AW Mornings host said.

“If people get tests you can perhaps do other things like go into hospitals to visit sick relatives, to go into aged care, to go to a wedding. That’s the theory I’ve got, anyway.

“I think they’re putting a toe in the water because it’s a huge step to say in a democracy ‘You can’t go there unless you have this stuck up your nose’.”

Victorian Tourism Council CEO Felicia Mariani says the response so far from operators in Victoria’s Alpine Region hasn’t been good.

“People are pretty upset with the fact they’ve got a different system,” she told Neil Mitchell.

“There has actually been a litany of cancellations that they’ve seen from a lot of people that just simply aren’t prepared to go and have a COVID test as a prerequisite to travel.”

Press PLAY below to hear more about how industry in the Alpine region has responded