Victoria could consider stricter border restrictions as concerns grow about the NSW COVID-19 outbreak.
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While Melbourne's restrictions eased further at midnight on Thursday and the state has gone nine days without any new locally acquired infections, NSW announced 44 fresh cases.
Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley was asked on Friday if the state would look at a further tightening of its travel permit system in response to the NSW's surge.
"If my recollection is correct, it's probably the highest figure in the country since the end of Victoria's second wave," Mr Foley said.
"I'm sure that our public health team will look very closely at that and if further measures need to be taken to keep Victorians safe from community transmission of the virus."
The health department on Friday confirmed there was one COVID-19 case in hotel quarantine, with the total number of active infections in the state remaining at 21.
Mr Foley said Victoria would do whatever is needed to maintain its run of no local cases.
"We're now into our second week of community-free transmission ... that's been very hard fought," he said.
"The Victorian approach was to go in hard, go in early, and that has been successful.
"We know it's come at a huge cost, at a huge price, but as we're seeing in NSW, the cost of not moving quickly is significantly higher."
Mr Foley again urged Victorians to reconsider travel to NSW.
With Victoria's school holidays ending this weekend, Mr Foley said many people would be returning from NSW and Queensland.
"This is a very tricky period for people interstate who want to come back," he said.
"You are entitled to come back, you are Victorians, but we need to make sure that in those areas where there is community transmission or a recent history of community transport transmission, that we take the steps we need to keep the virus out."
He added students who have to isolate when they return to Victoria would be managed by their schools.
Some 25,590 tests were processed in the 24 hours to Friday morning, while 15,665 Victorians received a vaccine dose at one of the state-run hubs.
Melbourne has now moved to the same restrictions currently in place in regional Victoria.
Masks will no longer be required at schools and in workplaces where staff are not interacting with the public while retail, hospitality, stadiums and other venues will be able to increase their capacity and dancefloors can reopen.
Travel restrictions with a number of states will ease as of 11.59pm Saturday. The Northern Territory, Western Australia and most of Queensland will become green zones. Brisbane, Moreton Bay and regions of the Sunshine Coast will change from red to orange zones.
All of Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, the Central Coast, Shellharbour and Wollongong remain red zones. ACT and regional NSW are oranges zones, effective since June 25.
Australian Associated Press
