Wimmera businesses responsible for checking IDs and refusing service

Melbourne residents cannot visit the area after a second COVID-19 forced lockdown.

However, those already outside of Melbourne when the lockdown was announced on Tuesday could still be in regional Victoria.

New guidelines from the state government state that regional Victorian businesses are obliged to check IDs and refuse service to anybody from metro Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire.

Horsham Sports and Community Club manager Glenn Carroll said businesses needed to be vigilant and thorough to help keep the community safe.

"As much as we'd love to have more customers and more people, we need to look after our local community as much as we can," Mr Carroll said.

"You just have to look at the family that visited down at Port Fairy to see how quickly it can filter through and potentially spread.

"People from rural Victoria are fine. Horsham is fine. We're just looking at those from those postcodes in lockdown. Those people should not be travelling."

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Mr Carroll urged businesses to take regulations and protocols seriously.

Strict limits on the number of people allowed in an indoor area and social distancing guidelines are still in effect.

"I'd encourage all local operators to be really thinking about their strategies and what they are doing," he said.

"We need to err on the side of caution.

"It comes back to the local community as well. Every shop has a sign up saying no more than a certain amount, so people have to respect those and help local businesses by observing the signage."

Horsham Rural City Council's Coordinator Business Development and Tourism's Chris McClure said the guidelines included hospitality, retail stores, personal services, and entertainment venues, such as cinemas and libraries.

Sporting activities are also included in the guidelines.

Many travellers seem to be reconsidering plans amid the new restrictions, with accommodation providers across the Wimmera reporting a plethora of cancellations.

Mr Carroll said the community "can not be too careful".

"A lot of people have been travelling through the region during school holidays," Mr Carroll said.

"Every individual and every business needs to take responsibility, otherwise we will end up ourselves back in a total lockdown."

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