A BENDIGO holidaymaker who drove for 10 hours to return home from NSW has described the experience of rushing home to be tested as cruel and frustrating.
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More than 60,000 Victorians came back from NSW in the New Year's period.
The Bendigo woman, who wished to remain anonymous, was in Merimbula on New Year's Eve when she heard the Victorian government advice to return home as soon as possible.
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"We were supposed to be over border by midnight (on New Year's Eve) or at least midnight the following night," she said. "I can't drive at night because of the eye surgery I had, so I set an alarm for 5.30am on New Year's Day to beat the caravan traffic.
"I got through the border (at Genoa) at 7am with no trouble because of the time of day. But there were literally hundreds caravans who had got through the border and just stopped on the side of the road. They were everywhere."
The woman returned to Bendigo and immediately went for testing about 4pm. She was unable to get tested on New Year's Day and spent seven hours in the drive-through line on Saturday.
Acting premier Jacinta Allan said she appreciated Victorians were taking the fresh COVID-19 outbreak seriously.
"The public health advice on New Year's Eve was to move and move quickly, remembering that in previous ten days there was clear advice about the risk of travelling to NSW," she said. "The decision was taken, because of the spread in NSW, it was best in the best interest of Victorians to close the border.
The Bendigo woman said it was her first holiday away from home for four years.
"I was actually having a relaxing time, it was sad it had to come to an end," she said. "So many in the caravan parks were in holiday mode and then were told to pack up and be out by midnight. It's just cruel. Merimbula restaurants and shops were rapt to have people back but now everyone has been kicked out again."
The weekend saw Victoria recorded 15 new coronavirus cases - 13 locally transmitted and two in hotel quarantine. There are 32 active cases in the state.