PEOPLE missing community markets can look forward to the reopening of both the Wallan Olde Time Market and Whittlesea Farmer’s Market in coming days.
The Wallan market will reopen on Saturday, with market co-ordinator Wayne Cornish expecting a reasonably different setup than usual.
“We will have wider aisles with about a two-metre gap between each stall. We’ll probably lose about 20 stalls and people will have to abide by social distancing,” Mr Cornish said.
Mr Cornish said people should bring their own hand sanitiser, and remain mindful most stalls would be handling cash, so repeated application of hand sanitiser was necessary.
“Don’t pick up items, ask for assistance, bring your own hand sanitiser and remember people will be using cash because they don’t have an eftpos machine,” he said.
“We’re normally quite packed in, but it is important people come to the market, get what they need and leave again – don’t hang around and have a chat.”
Whittlesea residents can look forward to the re-opening of Whittlesea Farmers Market on Monday, following the committee’s announcement it will make a return.
The market team and Whittlesea Showgrounds and recreation reserve committee of management said they have taken all steps to ensure they abide by COVID-19 guidelines.
Committee member Janine said to attend, people had to abide by the restrictions in place.
“We are all very pleased that restrictions are being eased for COVID-19. But unfortunately, life is not returning to the easy going ways of 2019,” she said.
“These are unique times for us all. Taking all the advice on board, we have decided that the next Whittlesea Monday Market will be on Monday, June 15.
“If the number of people attending were dangerous, we would have no alternative but to close the market down.”
For more information or to book a stall, visit both market’s Facebook pages.
