It's a familiar routine for many Ararat business owners, faced with another week of a closed shop and cancelling staff shifts due to the continued lockdown.
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This comes after Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Tuesday July 20 that Victoria's fifth lockdown will be extended.
The lockdown is now scheduled to end at midnight on Tuesday, July 27.
Most businesses aside from essential services have had to partially close trading, with retail and hospitality businesses having to pivot to maintain connections to their customers.
Clothing retailer Foster's Mensland is one of the many businesses affected by the lockdown, with its shop front closed to the public.
Owner Graeme Foster said the business was still receiving income through providing uniforms to the hospital and other essential services, but had been impacted from the postponement of events such as the Y's Menettes Club Debutante Ball.
"We had a deb ball on this weekend, 56 partners doing their debutante ball, so that has had an impact on those families as well as individual businesses around the town that support that event," he said.
"Certainly with the loss of trade, the passing trade, the people that are just moving around the country - we miss out on that."
Mr Foster said he supported short, sharp lockdown measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, but struggled with the uncertainty resulting from extended lockdowns.
"It does wear thin, but we understand why it needs to be. If it is short and sharp we can trade through those times and deal with that. It is when it is over an extended period," he said.
"I understand that the powers that be cannot say for certain when we will come out of this lockdown, but it is the uncertainty that makes it challenging.
"It is just an all around challenge, but I am just hoping that this extension is all that there will be, but we don't know."
Khoon Thai restaurant owner Tukta Ubuabon also faced a loss of income due to a downturn in trading.
Her business has transitioned to take-away and home delivery to maintain income through lockdown.
Ms Ubuabon said despite having to throw out produce and cut staff hours, 2021 was less stressful than 2020.
"We have to cut down hours for our staff and then with the stock we have, we have lost some because we can't sell it. Because we use mainly fresh ingredients like veggies," she said.
"Not that stressful. It is better than last year. The virus has come to my home town in Thailand so I do understand how serious it is.
"I think the Australian government is doing a great job. I still support them. It is something we have to adapt to nowadays."
The Victorian Government has offered support to affected businesses with grants through the Business Costs Assistance program and the Licensed Hospitality Venue fund.
However, Greater Ararat Business Network president Maria Whiford said Victoria's fifth lockdown had left the town's business community feeling uncertain.
"I always try to remain positive. But I think that it has been enough, and business owners just don't know when this is going to end. Not just this lockdown, but lockdown six and lockdown seven," she said.
"The whole town just seems to have gone quiet. No doubt it has taken its toll.
"We understand that COVID is a real threat, it is out in the community, it is in regional Victoria and we all have to do our part, I think there is an element of if we don't get the vaccination rate up we have more lockdowns coming. What does life look like with that?"
She said businesses needed more time to prepare for the possibility of extended lockdowns, and were able to bounce back quickly if lockdowns kept short.
"I think we rebound fairly quickly, once we are out of lockdown having parties, getting together, having dinner - doing all of the stuff we love, which is great for local business, small business and big business," she said.
"It is great for towns and great for regional businesses. The only time we tend to fall into a hole is when we are locked down for an extended period of time.
"I think the language of 'snap lockdowns' has got to change, it is not a snap lockdown, don't call it that because you give us hope that it is going to be quick, and it obviously is not."
Beyond Blue's coronavirus mental wellbeing support service is available at coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au or by calling 1800 512 348.
