MACEDON ranges residents face more challenges returning to normal life, as surrounding areas prepare to re-enter strict COVID-19 restrictions.
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About half of the shire's boundary is shared with areas under stay-at-home orders, either the Mitchell Shire or metropolitan Melbourne.
Macedon Ranges leaders say the restrictions will be a blow to the region's important hospitality and accommodation sector, only just beginning to recover from the first wave of shutdowns.
Macedon Ranges Residents Association secretary Christine Pruneau said residents were getting a bit more anxious, because of the shire's proximity to restricted areas.
Ms Pruneau said the move would cut off movement to many in the Macedon Ranges who accessed places such as Wallan, Sunbury or Melton, for shopping or business.
About half the population travelled to work outside the shire before the COVID-19 crisis hit, she said.
Residents of unrestricted areas are permitted to travel to restricted areas for necessary work, education, or shopping.
Ms Pruneau said the restrictions on nearby regions were more bad news for tourism and local business.
"The original lockdown, and ongoing restrictions, have hugely impacted tourism and local businesses," she said.
"This new lockdown would probably affect what was starting to come back, rather than having the major impact that the original had."
Macedon Ranges Shire Council chief executive Margot Stork said the communities and staff both faced challenges as the lockdown hit.
Ms Stork said it would also affect the shire's economy, a large section of which relied on hospitality and accommodation.
"We know that it's been a terrible time for those industries, and will continue to be a terrible time for those industries," she said.
Ms Stork said the council was working through which staff lived in the Mitchell Shire, and whether they were working from home.
She said many community members may live in the Macedon Ranges Shire, but shop in the Mitchell Shire.
Quite a few Macedon Ranges residents would travel to Melbourne or the Mitchell Shire for work in normal circumstances, but it was likely many were now working from home, Ms Stork said.
Ms Stork said the council was still running through the full implications of the closed borders between its area and the restricted zone.
She said Mitchell Shire's inclusion was a bit of a surprise, but the lockdown re-implementation overall wasn't.
Mr Stork urged anyone struggling during the lockdown to approach the shire's Recovery Operations Centre. She said staff were happy to try and assist with anything people needed help with, including connections with health care professionals, or food delivery.
Macedon Ranges Recovery Operations Centre can be reached on 5422 0237, or at recovery@mrsc.vic.gov.au.
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