The state government has flagged that abattoirs cut by a third will be kitted out in "full PPE" including gowns, masks and shields.

South West Coast MP Roma Britnell said there was already pressure on supply of PPE.

"I have reports from medical and care facilities in the region they have had trouble accessing enough PPE for their staff. If we suddenly throw abattoirs into the mix those supplies will be even further strained," she said.

Western Victoria MP Bev McArthur said securing the equipment was now essential to operations continuing.

"If abattoirs can't get full medical standard PPE they won't be allowed to operate at all," she said.

Ms McArthur also labelled restrictions on business "arbitrary" and expressed frustration with the decision to put restrictions on Warrnambool's Midfield Meat weeks after it proactively closed operations to test all staff after a coronavirus scare.

"For the state government to now reward their responsible and proactive behaviour and service to the community with these heavy-handed restrictions costing hundreds of livelihoods in the area, is government irresponsibility on a mammoth scale," she said.

Ms Britnell said she understood the importance of trying to stop the spread of the coronavirus but the restrictions created several "unintended consequences" that needed to be addressed before enforcement.

"It also creates flow on impacts right along the chain, which will impact everyone from the farmer in the paddock to the customer at butcher or supermarket," she said.

Ms Britnell said she was "deeply concerned" about the temporary loss of more than 300 jobs at Midfield Meat.

"I am concerned about the wellbeing of those people. They need to be appropriately supported," she said.

Premier Daniel Andrews revealed on Tuesday that abattoirs' workforce would be reduced based on their operations as of "last week", not peak capacity.

"From a beef and lamb point of view in spring they would be at a lower level, but it needs to be lower still," he said.

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