GUELPH -- Local health officials and political leaders across the province are asking shoppers from Toronto and Peel Region to stay home.

The call comes after reports of people from areas in lockdown travelling to other regions to shop and dine.

Under normal circumstances, businesses and restaurants would be happy to see a surge in visitors, but officials said the whole point of a lockdown is to stop the spread of the virus and not bring it to other regions.

The province has asked people to only travel for essential purposes and now the mayors of Markham, Vaughan, Brampton and Guelph have repeated the request.

During Friday's COVID-19 briefing, Region of Waterloo Medical Officer of Health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said they've heard of bus trips planned from regions in lockdown to come shopping in other cities.

Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie said he's heard similar reports.

"I'm getting calls from tons of stores, the malls in town saying it's happening all the time," Guthrie said in a video on his Twitter account. "Please, for your own health and safety and the health and safety of the citizens that I represent, don't come to Guelph."

Local businesses are also calling on residents in their area to shop local this holiday season to make up for a lack of visitors from other regions.