Bendigo businesses and organisations have expressed their frustration at being sent back to lockdown.
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Following the news Victoria would be plunged into a five-day lockdown, traders prepared to close their doors until next Wednesday.
City of Greater Bendigo mayor Jennifer Alden said it was incredibly frustrating for the community.
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"Particularly those in business who rely on foot traffic and people being able to travel freely," she said.
"It is a setback, particularly as we had only recently adjusted to another 'new normal', but the decision is based on health advice and we have seen how quickly these new variants of COVID-19 can get away from us."
Hotel Shamrock owner Ray Sharawara said news of Victoria's fifth lockdown was catastrophic for hospitality businesses and workers.
He said since the announcement this afternoon, the hotel had lost countless bookings planned for the weekend.
"Economically it is huge. At the Shamrock (on Thursday night) we are nearly fully booked but the phone has not stopped. We'll lose absolutely every (booking).
"For us the financial loss is massive. We were on a path to some recovery and now this great kick in guts. It hurts.
"We understand the seriousness of disease. If this is what we have to do, we'll cop it but we need help."
Bendigo Tourism Board chair Finn Vedelsby said the latest shutdown would do massive damages to businesses who had enjoyed a bright start to the financial year.
"There was a perfect storm following the last lockdown with Mary Quant, the hugely successful gallery experience and Awaken in Rosalind Park selling out over 65,000 tickets for it's three-week period,"
"It started this financial year with record numbers and a perfect storm of visitation form Melbourne and all around the state, at a time where people ordinarily go to holiday homes in Noosa or see friends on the coast. The streets never looked so alive.
"But to shut us down again, really does do massive damage to the bottom line of any business but also to small business operators' peace of mind. We never know whats' around corner and we just want it to be over. This (lockdown) has knocked for me for six.
"Running businesses like this is not healthy, so the sooner we are all vaccinated, the better."
Mr Sharawarra, who is also an executive board member with the Australia Hotels Association Victoria, said more notice of lockdowns was needed to ensure better financial support for businesses.
"We as industry want governments - at all levels - to give a clear pathway for financial support that is pre-determined before lockdowns occur so have certainty in our lives," he said. "This is for myself as business person but also for our staff. Staff can't get paid during lockdown and whatever payment they get will be minimal.
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"We need to know what the help wil be and are asking all governments - local,state and federal - what they can do in advance, because we know this is going to happen again.
"We are now also asking people to go get vaccinated. That is the only direct path out of this. So let's do it."
Cr Alden said the state's fifth lockdown should remind people how important following restrictions was.
"What is happening again, particularly in such a short amount of time, reminds us that vaccination is critical to managing our way out of this pandemic and at the very least being able to better live with it," she said.
"I encourage our community to do the right thing, follow the restrictions of the day and work together in order to look after each other and keep ourselves safe.
"QR code check-in is critical to supporting fast contact tracing, so we must all continue to do this."
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