Times
www.gippslandtimes.com.au
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
GIPPSLAND
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PAGE 7
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LOCAL SURGE IN
SCAMS
WEATHER WEATHER
Tuesday - Min: 14 25 Mostly sunny 4 Max: Tuesday Mostly sunny - Min: 13 Max:
DRILLING TO SECURE BRIAGOLONG’S
WATER SUPPLY
Wednesday Possible Wednesday Partlyshower cloudy -- Min: Min:315Max: Max:1526
Thursday Mostly sunny - Min: Max:2714 Thursday Sunny - Min: 133Max:
INSIDE
PropertyGuide GippslandTimes
Hopes of lockdown lift VICTORIA is into its fourth day of its snap lockdown announced on Friday to stem the spread of COVID-19, with stage four restrictions currently enforced across the state. The most severe restrictions regional Victoria has ever experienced, there are currently four reasons to leave home: shopping for essentials, care and caregiving, exercise and work — if it is essential. Exercise and shopping is limited to
five kilometres from people’s homes, but regional residents with no shops in their five-kilometre radius can travel to the one closest to them. People must wear fitted face masks whenever they leave home — indoors and outdoors. People cannot have visitors to their homes unless they are an intimate partner, and can only meet with one other person who they don’t live with to exercise. Yesterday, some local students made the shift back to learning from home,
others enjoyed a student free day, and some schools closed completely, while childcare centres and kindergartens remained open. Gyms, pools, community centres, entertainment venues and libraries are all closed, and local sport was cancelled. No visitors are permitted into health care, aged care or other residential facility settings, except for end-of-life reasons, as a support partner for birth or a parent to accompany a child. Despite essential stores like supermarkets, bottle shops and pharmacies
remaining open, the announcement still sparked a disappointing wave of panic buying across Wellington Shire, as some people rushed the toilet paper aisles to get several months’ supply for the five days. Local hardware stores closed their doors to anyone but tradespeople, inconveniencing those who had planned to occupy themselves with home improvements. Cafés and restaurants were reduced to offering just take-away, devastating venues caught out by the short notice.
Shock for businesses
Lily Watson from Triple F café in Sale cleans up after the news of the five-day lockdown.
Photo: Liz Bell
Liz Bell
FRIDAY’S shock announcement that the state was going into a five-day lockdown to head off a potential third wave of COVID-19 infections has stunned local businesses, many who have not yet recovered financially from last year’s lockdowns. As Melburnians began racing out of the city within hours of the announcement, businesses were left scrambling to make allowances for the snap restrictions on movement and social interactions. Sale café owner Carol Miller said she understood the need for swift action after the infectious UK-virus escaped from hotel quarantine, but she struggled to accept that the systems in place had failed again. “It is frustrating to think that, really, this all could have been avoided,” she said. Her business, like many others, will have to bear the cost of not having dine-in customers and the logistical pain of having to rejig staff rosters and change orders. But there’s also the emotional pain of dealing with the uncertainty and the ensuing chaos. “Yes, this will cost us money, but it’s also really stressful; I’ve just employed a couple of people only to have to tell them not to come in,” she said. “But, as bad as it is, we think are lucky — there
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Many had ordered additional supplies for a welcome Valentine’s Day rush. Some eateries encouraged couples to indulge in their take-away menus for a romantic dinner at home instead to reduce losses. On their busiest day on the calendar, many local florists shut their doors, but remained open for contactless deliveries and click and collect. Hotel and accommodation providers can stay open to support guests already staying onsite, but no new bookings can be made. Continued page 7
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are so many businesses that will be worse off.” Some businesses are facing crippling costs as a result of the timing of the lockdown, with the Valentine’s Day weekend always huge for restaurants and caterers. One well known local restaurant and venue told the Gippsland Times it was looking at a refund bill of more than $30,000 for a week of cancelled bookings, including a wedding on Saturday. For a few others, thankfully it hasn’t been quite as painful. The new owner of Jen’s Flowers, Lauren Connors, said Friday’s announcement brought on a “panic buying” response that resulted in the shop selling out of its large supply of Valentine’s Day red roses within hours. “We had about 90 bunches of them still available for people who hadn’t pre-ordered, but they just went,” she said. Although the shop had to close its doors to customers when the lockdown kicked in, Ms Connors said she and her staff were “flat out” all weekend with contactless pick-ups and creating alternative floral arrangements. “The only thing we didn’t get is the walk-in customers who like to visualise the flowers and hand pick some for an arrangement — but otherwise it’s business as usual,” she said.
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Raymond St, Sale
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Sarah Luke