Residents 'anxious' as Brant County sees 'surge' of tourists from COVID hotspots

Brant County says it has been experiencing "never before seen" numbers of tourists and group gatherings in the downtown core of Paris, Ont. during the past few months — and residents are concerned about the "surge" of visitors from cities with high numbers of COVID-19 infections.

A recent report by the county lists a string of challenges including visitors not abiding by the provincial and Brant County Health Unit COVID-19 mandates, involving group sizes and physical distancing.

"Right now, people are very concerned," Mayor David Bailey said in a phone interview. 

The report describes large gatherings of pedestrians at local river access points and in town, lining up for restaurants and stores throughout Brant. 

It also mentions unlawful parking, littering, trespassing, and "general inappropriate displays toward residents and property owners."

"We are so close to Hamilton and we're so close to Toronto," Bailey said. "We know that they're coming from there. It's not that we think they're coming from there. We actually know that."

Toronto announced 345 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday. Brant County declared one new case. 

The local municipal government addressed the report this week during a meeting. 

"I've heard lots of feedback from members of our community that they become anxious going into downtown Paris when it's packed full of visitors," Councillor Steve Howes said.

The councillor suggested adding signage to the downtown that encourages visitors to wear masks everywhere, not just indoors, as is mandated by the province. 

'... it's elbow to elbow people'

The request to install more signs was granted with the adoption of the Responsible Safe Visitation Plan. 

Those signs will encourage everyone to wear masks or face coverings, maintain proper social distancing and remind people to constantly wash their hands. 

The plan will also help local storekeepers outfit their businesses with safety measures such as plexiglass dividers, according to Mayor Bailey.

"I was raised here in the county, and it's always being a very sleepy place. On a Sunday afternoon, you might see a couple of people just sort of walking their dogs down the street," Bailey said.

"But it was almost empty. And now, on a Sunday afternoon, it's elbow to elbow people," he said.

The surge of visitors is no doubt a good thing for local businesses, but Bailey says it's also worrying thinking about if tourists could be coming from COVID hotspots such as Toronto or Peel.

Brant County has been "diligent" in curbing the spread of COVID-19, Bailey said.

"We've been very, very good about doing everything right. And our numbers are very low. You know, we had one [case] today."

According to the report, businesses surveyed by Brant Tourism at the beginning of October claimed 53 per cent of their customers came from local areas — while 47 per cent were from out of town.

With housing development plans on the horizon and an estimated $19 million of tourism profit in the last few years, Bailey acknowledged the county may have to find ways of accommodating more visitors each year.