And one Rutherglen business owner is calling for the region to be split from other regional centres, like Geelong and Bendigo, as the same restrictions are just "unfair".

All Saints Estate chief executive Eliza Brown told The Border Mail the North East has been doing the right thing and is COVID free.

"And yet we are at the mercy of other regional centres which are closer to metro Melbourne," she said.

"I was absolutely shocked about the result from the Premier and his government on Sunday, it is devastating for all tourism in north east Victoria.

IN OTHER NEWS:

"We are trying to keep our staff busy and interested and happy to try and keep them so they don't go and get a job on the other side of the border.

"That is the biggest stress really because 100 metres away they can go and do the job they are employed to do which is being a chef or a waiter and on this side they can't do that."

Ms Brown, who has had to close all the family businesses due to restrictions, said there needs to be a separate road map for the region.

"If we don't have any cases and we haven't had since march we need to be working towards level two and one restrictions.

"We should be able to actually eat and drink and travel and enjoy our own backyard but we can't do that.

"We are COVID ready and I think we have the track record to reopen."