After advancing to the 'third step' of the state's roadmap to recovery less than two weeks ago, regional Victoria now has just six known active infections of COVID-19.
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This is down from 20 cases this time last week and from nine in the past 24 hours.
Ballarat has not recorded a new case of the infectious disease since August 24 and there have been no active cases in the region since September 9.
The state recorded 10 cases in the past 24 hours - three linked to known outbreaks and seven under investigation.
"That is proof beyond question that the strategy is working," Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters on Tuesday.
"That is absolutely the work of every single Victorian that's following the rules and playing their part."
Sadly seven more people have lost their battle with the deadly virus, bringing the state's death toll to 794 and the national figure to 882.
The state's latest victims of the virus include a man in his 60s, a man in his 70s, a woman and two men in their 80s and a woman and a man in their 90s.
The premier said six of the seven deaths are linked to outbreaks in aged care.
"(Aged care) still remains a very vulnerable setting and one that we're motivated and working very, very hard to try and do everything we can to keep it out," he said.
There are 46 Victorians with coronavirus in hospital, including five in intensive care.
Sixty-seven fines were issued in the past 24 hours, including nine for not wearing a face covering and 18 at vehicle checkpoints.
Melbourne's 14-day average needs to drop below five and there must be fewer than five mystery cases for a fortnight before the state eases further restrictions.
Under step three, the five-kilometre limit on movement will be scrapped, shops will be able to reopen and cafes and restaurants will be able to seat diners.
Originally, the earliest date the metropolitan region could move to step three was October 26.
But authorities will work on a minimum three-week gap between stages, meaning that date has been brought forward to October 19.
The following step on Victoria's road map out of restrictions requires zero new cases in the community for more than 14 days.
But the premier insists suppression, not eradication, remains Victoria's coronavirus goal.
It comes after his former health minister Jenny Mikakos tweeted: "We are well on the way to eradication."
"I have answered this question many, many times. That is not the strategy. The strategy is to suppress this virus and that's the National Cabinet decision," Mr Andrews said on Monday.
Mr Andrews also revealed he has yet to speak to Ms Mikakos since her resignation on Saturday.
She dramatically quit after the premier told the hotel quarantine inquiry that her department was ultimately responsible for the botched quarantine program.
Ms Mikakos blamed Mr Andrews' statement for her resignation in a scathing letter posted on Twitter.
Closing submissions were heard at the inquiry on Monday ahead of its report due on November 6.
The inquiry was told that the disastrous quarantine program was responsible for 768 coronavirus deaths and more than 18,000 infections.
-with AAP
