By Oliver Lees
Businesses across Sunbury and the Macedon Ranges are dealing with staff shortages and a lack of consumer confidence, as the most recent outbreak of COVID-19 has torn through the state forcing thousands into isolation.
Still with the memories of months of lockdown fresh in the mind, small business owners have been confronted with a new challenge of keeping their doors open with a high level of virus transmission in the community.
The number of active cases in the state skyrocketed above 200,000 this week, with people scrambling to get tested at testing sites or via a rapid antigen test.
The current state government guidelines require close contacts of a positive case, or those who have tested positive to COVID-19, to isolate for a period of seven days.
Sunbury restaurant District 3429 announced via social media last week that it had decided to stop trading in order to limit contact “for the safety of our team and community”.
In Lancefield, A Slice of Perfection pizzeria was forced to hire new team members to cover staff shortages, and announced a creative strategy on their social media to handle the situation.
“We unfortunately are down a couple of our oven staff for COVID reasons… We will be doing a generic basic limited menu and just pumping out as many of the same pizzas as we can for you to just come and select what pizzas you want.”
At Terry White Chemist in Sunbury, staff shortages meant that pharmacist Mick Linton had to work alone in the store earlier this month, fielding questions from customers hoping to get their hands on a rapid antigen test.
Sunbury Business Association president Michael Osborne said he was devastated to see the business community face further hardship.
“It’s certainly not the same feeling as lockdown, then, there was a feeling of despair,” Mr Osborne said.
“Now, the feeling is frustration.”
Mr Osborne said the situation was particularly challenging for the hospitality sector as it depends largely on younger staff members, who have represented the majority of new confirmed cases.
“There’s a lot of people being extremely cautious and conservative. They’re continuing to utilise online shopping, so our bricks and mortar stores aren’t having a rush of people back into shops like they normally would at this time of year.”
