Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp is pushing for a business assistance package as the city endures a third lockdown.
Speaking on Nine's Today program this morning, Capp described the current five-day snap lockdown as "dire" for many businesses.
Capp is calling for all levels of government to support businesses, pointing out retailers have now also missed the lucrative Valentine's Day and Lunar New Year trading period.
"They are making decisions every day about whether they are going to be able to open their doors and keep people in employment.
“That’s why calling out for that comprehensive package is so important.
“We did feel like we were moving into revival and we are very much back into asking for a survival package to make sure that Melbourne can be open for business.”
In December, John Fluevog store manager Meagan Naish told ragtrader.com.au the city is only just starting to emerge from previous lockdowns.
"After months in lockdown, the return to retail in the CBD is proving to be a challenge.
"While we are excited to be opening our doors again at Fluevog, but we are definitely opening them to a new landscape in terms of Melbourne CBD retail.
"Once known as the best city for shopping, we are still something of a ghost town in post-COVID lockdown.
"Since reopening, it has been a slow start to say the least – while we are generally seeing an increase in traffic, it is still very unpredictable and there is still a feeling of uncertainty in the air."