It follows comes on a day when Victoria registered a record spike of new cases, with 428 further instances of the infection reported overnight.

Ballarat has now seen a total of 16 cases since the epidemic began, with five now active.

Ballarat Health Services confirmed on Friday that one of its staff members at the Bill Crawford Lodge had tested positive, but had behaved "cautiously and responsibly".

In a statement, BHS said:

"We can confirm that a staff member of Ballarat Aged Care has tested positive to COVID-19.

"The person has acted responsibly and cautiously. They did not work whilst symptomatic and have been in isolation since symptoms presented on Tuesday this week. They have not required treatment in hospital.

"Prior to being symptomatic, this person worked at the Bill Crawford Lodge. Contact tracing with staff and residents is underway. All Bill Crawford Lodge residents will be tested as a precaution and staff members who have interacted with the staff member have been sent home for isolation and are being tested."

Read more on the positive case in the care home here.

Yesterday, Ballarat reported its first active case in two months.

The last positive case confirmed in a resident of the Ballarat council area before Thursday on May 17.

The total remained steady for Golden Plains. It now has four active cases, while Moorabool has two.

The tally has been increasing slowly but significantly in regional areas.

On Tuesday, two active COVID-19 cases were confirmed following testing in the city - the first near Ballarat for some time.

The Courier understands both infected people work in Melbourne where they each contracted the virus from known sources.

ALSO IN THE NEWS

While Melbourne and Mitchell Shire are in lockdown, people are still able to commute between these areas and the rest of regional Victoria for work and study.

Ballarat was the last major regional city in the state to be without a registered active case of the virus.

There have been cases over the past week registered in Bendigo, Geelong and Warrnambool.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

More to come.

For more information on COVID-19, visit: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus.

HERE ARE THE STATISTICS IN FULL:

HUME: 530 cases (280 active)

WYNDHAM: 455 (299)

BRIMBANK: 412 (238)

MELBOURNE: 410 (264)

MOONEE VALLEY: 353 (223)

MORELAND: 266 (133)

BANYULE: 207 (107)

WHITTLESEA: 198 (109)

MELTON: 189 (106)

CASEY: 173 (46)

DAREBIN: 139 (70)

STONNINGTON: 137 (32)

YARRA: 130 (76)

MARIBYRNONG: 121 (68)

BOROONDARA: 110 (31)

HOBSONS BAY: 92 (53)

MONASH: 84 (26)

PORT PHILLIP: 82 (25)

GREATER GEELONG: 77 (8)

GLEN EIRA: 73 (13)

MANNINGHAM: 73 (32)

MORNINGTON PENINSULA: 71 (7)

WHITEHORSE: 69 (38)

KINGSTON: 49 (13)

FRANKSTON: 47 (6)

GREATER DANDENONG: 47 (18)

BAYSIDE: 41 (5)

NILLUMBIK: 39 (11)

CARDINIA: 37 (12)

KNOX: 35 (10)

YARRA RANGES: 33 (6)

MITCHELL: 31 (16)

MAROONDAH: 27 (10)

GREATER SHEPPARTON: 17 (1)

BALLARAT: 16 (5)

GREATER BENDIGO: 13 (3)

WELLINGTON: 13

MACEDON RANGES: 12 (3)

LATROBE: 11 (2)

MOIRA: 11

SURF COAST: 10 (1)

BAW BAW: 8 (3)

SOUTH GIPPSLAND: 7 (2)

BASS COAST: 6 (2)

MOUNT ALEXANDER: 6

WARRNAMBOOL: 6 (1)

ARARAT: 5

CAMPASPE: 5

GOLDEN PLAINS: 5 (4)

HORSHAM: 5 (2)

MILDURA: 5

MOORABOOL: 5 (2)

SWAN HILL: 5 (1)

BENALLA: 3

LODDON: 3

MANSFIELD: 3

NORTHERN GRAMPIANS: 3

EAST GIPPSLAND: 2 (1)

GANNAWARRA: 2

HEPBURN: 2

MURRINDINDI: 2

SOUTHERN GRAMPIANS: 2

STRATHBOGIE: 2

WANGARATTA: 2

ALPINE: 1

CENTRAL GOLDFIELDS: 1

CORANGAMITE: 1

GLENELG: 1

MOYNE: 1

WEST WIMMERA: 1

WODONGA: 1

YARRIAMBIACK: 1

UNKNOWN: 36 (34)

INTERSTATE: 82 (4)

OVERSEAS: 5

TOTAL: 5165 (2462)

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