While it may take years to fully realise the devastating affect the COVID-19 pandemic had on people’s lives, it’s evident that it has changed the trajectory of many.
Businesses, in particular, struggled with the constant lockdowns in Victoria and even after reopening to the public were forced to adopt a range of government-imposed strategies to ensure compliance with the new health regulations in a pandemic-stricken new world.
In Melbourne, there are empty shops aplenty as crippled businesses have gone to the wall, while in regional Victoria, namely East Gippsland, businesses appear to have withstood the restrictive measures and survived.
The strain on mental health, however, is omnipresent as recovery continues.
For Kellie Hodson, who runs the Crazy Cow Café and Bakery in Omeo, the past two-and-a-half years have taken their toll.
“I’m physically and mentally exhausted,” she told the Advertiser last week.
IMAGE: Omeo bakery owner, Kellie Hodson, admits to being exhausted from the pandemic and has decided to sell up and hit the road. K295-7643 (2)
