Coronavirus Victoria shutdown: Takeaway the order of the day for regional businesses

Country pubs and other businesses are calling on Victorians to support their takeaway services as in-house dining and drinking is banned statewide.

Apollo Bay businesses are struggling with the downturn in tourist numbers.

BUSHFIRE and tourist-exposed communities are being hit by an economic double whammy this week after a government-ordered shutdown of pubs and eateries statewide.

Victoria and other states have enforced a government-mandated shutdown of pubs, cafes and restaurants for the foreseeable future as Australia grapples with the coronavirus outbreak.

The enforced statewide closure compounds the cashflow strain for businesses in bushfire-scorched East Gippsland and North East Victoria as well as tourist-dependent southwest Victoria, which are all out-of-pocket after summer.

Despite bars and dining areas being forced to shut this week, many country pubs are still providing takeaway liquor and food.

Marlo Hotel owner Russell Bates offered free beer to patrons in the hours before the noon shutdown on Monday.

“It’s been a pretty ordinary six months for East Gippsland — although our part of the region has fared far better than those that were directly hit,” he said.

“To have bushfires and then the coronavirus, it’s doubly hard for many. We’d thought we’d offer free beer as a bit of a morale boost — the kegs were already tapped and needed to be put to good use.”

Like many business operators, Mr Bates had to lay off staff on Monday.

“We had to let 15 people go — that’s their livelihoods and so many across the country are losing their livelihoods this week,” he said.

Apollo Bay Chamber of Commerce president Bob Knowles said an underwhelming summer for the seaside town was being followed by a grim economic autumn.

“The tourist bus tap got turned off just after Christmas, so Apollo Bay and towns right along the Great Ocean Road were reliant on domestic tourism,” he said.

“Now domestic tourism will dry up, except for holiday homes. It’s important to remember that many businesses are still operating — they’re just changing the way they do business. We’ve got a restaurant in town shifting across to takeaway – it’s important we support them all during this tough time.”