Hospitality, accommodation, beauty and personal services, and tourism businesses in the regions have been warned to keep Melbourne-based people out, or risk a $10,000 fine.
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This means mandatory checking of licences or ID cards at the entrance to venues and businesses.
The latest tightening of restrictions is aimed at preventing coronavirus infections like the one in Kilmore, which has seen several cases after a person from Melbourne stopped at a cafe.
The person, a permitted worker, was allowed to be out of the city but did not know they were infectious.
Permitted workers coming from Melbourne to Ballarat, as well as people visiting their intimate partners, must understand the restrictions that apply in Melbourne also apply here, and businesses have a responsibility to not serve them.
According to the state government, businesses which do not comply will face a penalty of $9,913 where they are a body corporate or $1,652 in the case of individuals.
Where police or authorised officers consider that specific cases are particularly serious, they can determine to prosecute the matter through the courts where the maximum fine available is $19,826.40 for individuals and $99,132 for bodies corporate.
If a business refuses service and bookings from people living in metropolitan Melbourne, they have met their obligations for this requirement.
"Regional businesses who do the right thing but are misled by someone intent on breaking the rules will not be fined under the changes. Instead, individuals found deliberately ignoring the restrictions will risk a fine of $1,652. Melbournians who are found in regional Victoria without a valid reason face fines of up to $4,957," a state government media release states.
Australian Hotels Association Victoria president and Red Lion publican David Canny welcomed the announcement, and said this was in line with what most venues were already doing to keep their communities safe.
"It does put pressure on owners, we acknowledge that, but it's up to the owners to take responsibility for this and train staff or do it for themselves," he said.
"To be open comes responsibility, and if you don't think you can do it, you can't put the whole hospitality scene at risk - that's how serious it is if we want to go to the next step."
He said people from Melbourne sometimes weren't aware restrictions followed them - most people were not intentionally trying to break the rules.
"They didn't know they couldn't sit in a café or hotel," he said.
"It should be really clear to them, and we've mentioned to the government that maybe we need to change the way they communicate with people who are coming out for legitimate reasons."
Commerce Ballarat chief executive Jodie Gillett said it was critical for every business in Ballarat to follow best practices - checking addresses on entry and refusing entry to people from locked down areas, keeping accurate contact details, and following capacity and social distancing rules.
"From our point of view, yes it's an another imposition on our business community, but it's one we had to have," she said.
"It's critical if we want to get open that every single business does what they need to do keep the community safe - they need to have these processes in place, and employers need to be supporting their teams more than they ever have before to cope with situations that they shouldn't have to cope with but they do."
"Our community needs to be caring for the businesses and people in them, and being constantly conscious that they're working in very difficult guidelines."
Mr Andrews has repeatedly foreshadowed more restrictions will ease in regional Victoria from October 19.
Commerce Ballarat has a series of webinars for businesses in the next few weeks, including on looking after mental health needs for employers and employees, and building resilience - visit the website to find out more.
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Remember to always maintain good hand hygiene, wear a mask when in public, and keep a 1.5 metre distance from others at all times.
Anyone with the slightest symptoms is urged to get a test immediately, and must self-isolate until results come back - book online at bchc.org.au or phone 4311 1571 to make an appointment.
For more information, visit the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services website, or phone the hotline on 1800 675 398 for advice if you are displaying symptoms.
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