The Sunshine Coast is quieter than normal during the January school holidays, with people steering clear from indoor cafes and restaurants as amid the rising COVID-19 cases.

Sunshine Coast mayor Mark Jamieson says there had been an improvement since Christmas, when people were anxious in the lead-up.

“We have seen an improvement since then, but if I look at the roads around the Sunny Coast, was on the Bruce Highway yesterday, it’s certainly a lot quieter than it normally is,” he told Scott Emerson.

“Accomodation bookings are very strong, but people are still reluctant to go out to particularly inside restaurants and bas, and tat is having a detrimental effect on those businesses.”

He said he fears businesses are having to deal with even greater challenges than ever before in the pandemic.

They were relying on loyal customers to survive, he said.

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