Victorian businesses are scrambling to secure a COVID-19 plan to continue operations ahead of their midnight deadline.

Melbourne’s Stage 4 restrictions, which effectively shut down the retail and manufacturing sectors, are expected to wipe up to $12 billion off the national economy.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told Jim Wilson he’s spent the first week of Stage 4 confronting confusion over the restrictions head-on.

“Life as we know it has been suspended here in Victoria.

“There’s been a lot of uncertainty for businesses as to what the restrictions would mean for both their domestic supply chains … [and] the national supply chains.

“The Prime Minister and I have been working with the business community over the course of this week … to try to get the best outcome possible, but to say it’s a sub-optimal situation is an understatement, Jim.”

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