COVID-19 Centre Update

As announced by the Victorian Government, from 11.59pm Wednesday 5th August, Stay at Home restrictions apply in regional Victoria and remain in Mitchell Shire. Under the new restrictions here are only four reasons that you can leave home:

• To shop for food and necessary goods or services

• To provide care, for compassionate reasons or to seek medical treatment

• To exercise or for outdoor recreation

• For work or education, if you can’t do it from home

The Stage 3 restrictions apply to shopping and retail in regional Victoria. These restrictions apply to people living in these areas, people visiting these areas and the businesses operating in these areas. The following are key points that apply to The Village Bacchus Marsh whilst these restrictions are in place:

• You must only leave home for one of the four reasons. You can leave home to shop for necessary goods and services.
• If you are leaving home for one of the four reasons, you can only undertake activities in public places with one other person or the members of your household.
• Beauty therapy, tanning, waxing, nail salons and massage parlours must not operate.
• Hairdressing and Barbers can operate. Density, cleaning, signage and record keeping requirements apply.
• Market Stalls: only takeaway food and drink only can operate.
• Restaurants and Cafes can continue to open for takeaway and delivery only.
• Food courts will continue to be closed, but restaurants and cafes within food courts can open for takeaway and food delivery.
• Bottle shops remain open.

Although some of our retailers are permitted to not operate whilst in Stage 3 restrictions, some of our other retailers may make the decision to temporarily close or otherwise reduce their hours. We encourage you to check with each individual retailer for their current trading hours.

Mandatory Face Coverings

If you choose to visit us during this time, please remember that you must wear a face covering at all times when visiting our Centre, unless:

• You are under the age of 12 years
• You have a medical condition that prohibits the wearing of a face covering
• For professional reasons

To help keep our entire community safe, please be sure to bring an appropriate face covering with you when you next visit The Village Bacchus Marsh.

Thank you for your ongoing patience and understanding as we all adjust to these new measures and navigate the changes together with kindness and compassion.

Keeping our community safe

As has been the case throughout the entire COVID-19 crisis, the health and well being of our customers, staff, retailers and contractors is our number one priority.

We continue to implement and maintain stringent precautionary measures to keep our entire community safe. These include:

• A strengthened focus on disinfecting commonly touched areas, sanitising high-touch points with high-grade disinfectant throughout the Centre.
• Hand sanitisation stations at each entrance of the Centre.
• Placing Australian Government-issued information posters in our bathrooms, and throughout the Centre which outline crucial information on how you can help stop the spread of COVID-19.
• Signage and floor decals throughout the Centre, reminding our community to keep 1.5 metres between themselves and others at all times, including when queuing or moving through the Centre.
• Regular Centre PA announcements reminding our customers of social distancing rules and recommended COVID-19 hygiene guidelines.
• Reminding our community to adhere to government mandates to wear a face covering while outside of the home, unless there’s a valid reason not to.
• Working closely with our retail partners to help ensure that we are all playing our part to keep our shared environments safe.

While we are doing what we can to help protect the health of our community, we all have a part to play in keeping our community safe, and that means:

• Practice social distancing while you are at the Centre and always keep at least 1.5 metres between yourself and others.
• Maintain a high level of personal hygiene. Wash your hands regularly(take advantage of our hand sanitisation stations located at each entrance of the Centre) and safely cover your cough or sneeze.
• Wear a face covering, unless you have a valid reason not to, and follow all government directives and advice.
• Most importantly, stay at home if you are feeling unwell, are awaiting test results, or are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.

As always, we are closely monitoring public health updates and are prepared to act quickly should the advice change. Once again, the health and safety of our community is our overriding priority.