A lack of volunteers caused by the current COVID outbreak is posing a problem for one of the district's most successful community events.
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The Port Fairy Jazz Festival will be held on the weekend of February 11-13, with jazz players and fans from across the country set to flock to the famous seaside town.
But the escalation of COVID numbers since the start of 2022 has organisers nervous about what lays ahead.
Port Fairy Jazz Festival committee member Rod Carter said of the most concern at this stage, a month out from the event, was the pressure on volunteer numbers.
"With all the extra checking in we are going to need more volunteers than ever before," Mr Carter said.
"The problem with that is it very well could be the other way, we may have less volunteers than normal.
"We don't know who might test positive for COVID or who might be isolating by the time the festival comes around.
"There might also be some people who may not be that keen to be out and about and would prefer to stay out of the way to dodge COVID.
"It's an unknown but that it is something we need to monitor given how important our volunteers are."
Despite the concern over volunteers, plans are progressing for the festival to go ahead, in as complete a form as possible.
This aim is bringing with it challenges in the planning stages, with extra layers added to what needs to be done to hold the festival as a COVID safe event.
"We have a meeting next week but at this stage of the game we are on target," Mr Carter said.
"We have got our COVID plan all done, which includes a swag of QR codes. We need so many QR codes because we now have a festival that is made up of events at 10 different venues so we need to have a QR code for each of these."
With the festival requiring double COVID vaccination as a condition of entry, checking this needs a plan of its own.
Each person that comes to the festival has to register when they arrive, at which time they receive a name badge.
In the past, one representative from a group could register and collect badges on behalf of the group, but this year each individual will have to register themselves.
At this time, they will also have to show proof of their double vaccination.
The festival has taken out insurance which will cover their costs should the event be cancelled or greatly reduced. The festival went ahead last year, but with just a Friday night concert.