People are expecting the effects of the coronavirus pandemic to linger for more than a year according to a Bendigo Advertiser survey.
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The survey saw 142 people respond to questions about how the coronavirus has affected them.
It saw 52.1 per cent of respondents (74 people) expect to have COVID-19 affect their life for at least another 12 months. Results showed 29.6 per cent of people expected effects to last for six to 12 months.
The anxiety about coronavirus has also risen in the face of a second wave of Victorian cases in the past few weeks.
On a scale of one to five, 72 people said they were at the highest amount of concern (5) while 37 people said their concerned ranked at four out of five.
Compared to the start of the pandemic in March, 51 people said their concern was at a five while 46 people ranked their concern at a four.
When asked if they were more anxious than they were in March, 31.7 per cent said of people said they were more anxious while 42.3 per cent said they had the same amount of anxiety.
The strain of coronavirus and associated restriction is being felt everywhere including some of Greater Bendigo's smallest towns.
Heathcote Health chief executive Dan Douglass said he felt the community mood was more anxious following reports of a second wave of COVID-19 cases.
"A lot of that depends on what happens with the testing blitz being done at the moment," he said "If (cases) can be traced, I think people will relax but certainly is heightened.
"When (the state of emergency) started everything was really well promoted but it fell away when transmissions didn't occur to the extent people thought it would. The latest breakouts are community transmission, which is so hard to stop.
"Being close to Melbourne and having a lot of people with connection to the northern Melbourne postcode areas, makes us feel more vulnerable.
"It means we have a lot of anxiety. But if it encourages people to social distance, stay home, maintain hygiene and use the COVID-19 app, it's a good anxiety to have.
"People in town have been good but we're an on-the-trip town, the economy is built around people stopping here to use facilities. It's a challenge for us."
Mr Douglass said testing at Heathcote Health had also increased in recent weeks. There have been no positive tests recorded at Heathcote Health since testing began.
Testing has been symptomatic locals and teaching staff who were required to have tests.
"We test three times a week for an hour and have had an average five to six people per session," Mr Douglass said. "But the last few times has been between 9 and 12 people, so more than double since this outbreak in Melbourne.
"We would like to do more testing but don't have sufficient staff to do it. At the moment we're a service for locals. There are clinics in Kyneton and Bendigo but if you can't get there, there's not much help."
The Bendigo Advertiser COVID-19 survey showed more than half of the 142 respondents were over 50 years of age with 50 people (35.2 per cent) listing as over 60, and 28 people (19.7 per cent) between 50 and 59.
Three respondents (2.1 per cent) were under 18, 18 people (12.7 per cent) were between 19 and 29, 23 people (16.2 per cent) were between 30 and 39 and 20 people (14.1 per cent) were between 40 and 49.
The survey showed 45.8 per cent of people had changes to their jobs because of COVID-19 with 19 people (13.4 per cent) losing their job or stopping work.
Many people said the JobKeeper scheme should be extended beyond September with 72.5 per cent (103 people) answering yes.
Elmore Progress Association president Jeff Crust said the town shut down when restrictions were first introduced, affecting many families.
"We've got people out of work and struggling to make ends meet but it's not like it is in comparison to (bigger places) like Bendigo," Mr Crust said. "Elmore is an ageing community. The younger ones here have the families and they're doing it tough if they can't go to work.
"Most people have labour-type jobs and can't work from home, so they are stuck. Farmers are working day and night trying to do everything."
Mr Crust said the lockdown restrictions had more of an effect on the town than the virus.
"One of fortunate things for us was being so isolated," he said. "The virus hasn't hit us, it's just the lockdown effect. And it hit businesses badly.
"There's two active hotels and both of them had to shut down. Oasis Cafe was closed, they didn't go down takeaway road. Other than the bakery there was nowhere else to get takeaway except Copper Kettle. You would see half a dozen people waiting each morning for coffee."
Copper Kettle chef Renee Phillips owns the business with her husband Brian McGinley. She said the cafe refused to close and adapted to ensure they could serve the community.
"We have been open the whole way through," Ms Phillips said. "We kept to our normal operating times. It's just my husband and I. We decided adapting was manageable.
"We swapped to full takeaway menu and decided to push through and stick to a few things done last few years like supporting the RSL with our Anzac biscuit drive, which raised $772 for RSL (on Anzac) day.
"There were a few cheaper options on the menu for older, single people who could take (meals) home.
"Really we tried to adapt to fill a need. Our whole view on what's happened is you don't have to make a profit, you just have to survive. If you can pay bills and staff, you don't need to make a profit."
Survey responses said 51.4 per cent (73 per cent) answered that restrictions of 20 people at a hospitality business should remain the same. Thirty-nine people (27.5 per cent) said more people should be allowed in hospitality businesses.
Many people wanted more restrictions introduced with 68.3 per cent (97 out of 142 respondents) indicating that's what they would like to see.
Mr Crust said it was a shock to see huge amounts of traffic come through the town when restrictions eased recently.
"It was strange to see the (high COVID-19) case numbers and also a good feeling to know we were relatively safe," he said. "The biggest shock came on the first weekend they allowed people to move.
"Traffic streamed through. (Some were) saying 'don't stop', especially with the clusters in Melbourne. We don't want them here. It's terrible to say because we rely on them.
"(But) the mood of town is pretty upbeat. It has been during this whole time. We looked after each other. If it looked like somebody was going without, help came form somewhere."
The Bendigo Advertiser COVID-19 survey was completed by 142 people between Monday evening and Thursday afternoon. Visit the Bendigo Addy website to view more results.