If residents continue to ignore social distancing requirements and Victoria's COVID-19 infection rates rise further, the state could be plunged back into total lockdown decimating Wodonga businesses.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Coronavirus cases in Victoria continue to rise, with Premier Daniel Andrews announcing another 270 diagnoses on Tuesday.
North East Victoria has not recorded a positive COVID-19 case since a Bright aged care resident was diagnosed on June 7.
But three people have tested positive to coronavirus in Lavington, and in the past week new cases have appeared linked to Geelong, Bendigo, Warrnambool and Moorabool Shire near Ballarat.
On Tuesday, Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said he could not rule out a return to statewide restrictions but he believes even if the entire state was in lockdown, the regional infections would still have occurred as people travel for work and other various reasons.
Business Wodonga president Graham Jenkin said if Victoria keeps recording coronavirus cases, especially in regional areas, a statewide shutdown would occur.
IN OTHER NEWS:
David McNamara who owns Cafe Fifteen inside Birralee Plaza is concerned statewide restrictions will return.
"Generally our customers are doing the right thing, but there are certainly people out there who really don't get it," he said.
"People can be very complacent, some people just do not care, that's the bottom line.
"Think of everyone else and think of the consequences, that's what happened in Melbourne, people weren't doing the right thing."
Mr McNamara said his cafe has been operating as a takeaway provider throughout the pandemic and experience a 50 to 55 per cent drop in trade initially.
Wangaratta mayor Dean Rees said the city's businesses had suffered enough this year.
He wants restrictions to be further relaxed in regional areas without COVID-19 outbreaks so areas like Wangaratta weren't punished for metro outbreaks just because they were in Victoria.
He said the city had not had a case in months and were maintaining social distancing practices.
"We don't want it to happen, businesses can't afford another lockdown," he said.
Mr Jenkin said the best way people can support businesses during the tough COVID-19 times was to adhere to social distancing requirements.
"If people don't play their part and be responsible, we might have a wave of infection up here and that would be just tragic for a lot of business owners," he said.
"For a lot of small businesses it's just not going to be viable to continue."