Warrnambool business owners react to vaccinated economy trials

Up to 300 punters will be allowed at a race meeting on Thursday after the racing club was today announced as one of four Warrnambool businesses to take part in the state's vaccinated economy trials.

The trial will kick off in six regional Victorian local government areas on Monday.

The midweek race meeting at Warrnambool Racing Club will be used to test higher patron limits at larger, open air events.

Warrnambool Racing Club chief executive Tom O'Connor welcomed the announcement.

"We're obviously pretty excited to be involved in the trial as an event-based business," he said.

"We've been able to operate through the pandemic in a COVID-safe manner and we're happy to now be involved in trialing the new systems which will play a role in assisting in the way forward."

Mr O'Connor said up to 300 fully vaccinated punters would attend the race meeting on Thursday.

"At this stage we'll be capped at 300 members on the course and we will be communicating with them on Monday about the conditions of entry and what the process will be on the course," he said.

"As it is a trial event, there will be some conditions of entry and we will be communicating that tomorrow."

Mr O'Connor said he was looking forward to seeing crowds back on the course.

"There'll be eight races on Thursday so members will be able to come and enjoy a nice afternoon back on the track," he said.

"Hopefully this is the start of people getting back into the swing of attending events. It's a huge positive for the events and function industry, as well as hospitality."

The Warrnambool Racing Club will be joined in the vaccinated economy trial by Roberts One Real Estate, Warrnambool Art Gallery and Darlings of Beauty.

Trish Howden, who co-owns Darlings of Beauty with Jenna Gore, said they were excited to be chosen as part of the trial.

"It's a way forward for the city and to stop locking down the economy and locking people in their homes," she said.

Ms Howden said they heard the good news about 10 days ago and had a Zoom meeting with other business owners and members of the Department of Regional and Rural Victoria early last week.

"We've been told the department will be sending out posters and information packs this week," she said.

She said the trial meant the salon could see a larger number of clients at one time, permitting they are double vaccinated.

"We will be asking their vaccination status before they book and checking at the door as they won't be allowed in (if they aren't double vaccinated)," Ms Howden said.

She said she was "a little bit" worried about having to police community member's vaccination status.

"But we're really lucky that Warrnambool is so highly vaccinated," she said.

"I just ask people to be patient, kind and to think of others as we're all just doing our job."

Darlings of Beauty opened on Liebig Street in March this year and has been subjected to a number of rolling lockdowns due to the coronavirus.

"It's been very difficult for a new business, we just get up and running and then we're put back into lockdown," Ms Howden said.

"We're also finding that with COVID cases (in the city), people are scared. We've had a lot of cancellations in the last week or some and we're sure that's because of the active cases here. People just don't know where they stand."

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