Coronavirus in Ballarat: More business support as COVID lockdown continues, Moderna approved for 12-15 year olds

More than 175,000 businesses will share in the additional funding which will be delivered through existing funds and automatically deposited in to business owners' bank accounts over the next four weeks.

Industry support minister Martin Pakula said the jointly-funded support package from the Commonwealth and Victorian governments would provide a four-week boost to businesses as Victoria strives to achieve a 70 per cent, then 80 per cent, vaccination rate in the coming weeks and months.

If lockdown is eased in regional Victoria and businesses are allowed to resume operating, which could occur in the coming week depending on the distribution of Victoria's COVID cases, they would still be eligible for the full first fortnight's payment Mr Pakula confirmed.

A new tiered payment system will be introduced for the Business Costs Assistance Program, offering higher payments for businesses with more workers. Payments will be available at rates of $2800, $5600 and $8400 a week over September, depending on payroll size.

Eligible cafes, restaurants and bars will continue to receive Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund payments of between $5,000 and $20,000 per week.

And an increase to the Small Business COVID Hardship Fund will raise the grant amount to $20,000 for around 35,000 businesses, and the deadline for applications will be extended.

The state recorded 190 new locally-acquired COVID cases on Saturday, with 103 linked to known cases and outbreaks.

On Friday the state hit 208 new COVID cases, the highest number this year.

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"We can't say for sure when case numbers will peak," said Victoria's chief health officer Professor Brett Sutton.

"We hope that the peak is as early as possible. In part, it does depend on maximising the vaccinations available. We know there have been constraints up to this point of time in terms of supply, but with additional Pfizer being available and with the allocations of AstraZeneca that could be mobilised tomorrow, we've got an opportunity to bring that peak down and to bring - to make as early as possible that peak so that we are going into October, November with decreasing numbers and not increasing numbers.

"What the Burnett modelling told us was that without the restrictions that we've got in place now, we would have seen a 30 per cent day on day increase in numbers. Today would have been 3000 or 4000. By the end of next week, it would have been 10,000. So really substantial increases without restrictions, but even worse without the high vaccination coverage."

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The state recorded its second highest day of vaccinations on Friday, with 35,464 people rolling up their sleeves to get the jab in state-run clinics.

The vaccination race is set to accelerate further after Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed that Australia had struck a deal with the UK to provide four million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which will be split on an equal population share basis among the states. About 60 per cent of the jabs will be delivered throug the primary care network including GPs and private clinics, and 40 per cent through state-based vaccination clinics.

And Australia's medicine regulator the Therapeutic Goods Administration announced on Saturday it had approved the use of Moderna's Spikevax vaccine for people aged 12 years an older, reducing the previously announced lower age limited from 18.

Also on Friday, Premier Daniel Andrews outlined plans to give vaccinated Victorians more freedoms at venues such as sports stadiums, cinemas and pubs and confirmed trials of the technology needed to create a "vaccinated economy" would occur in regional Victoria after it exits lockdown.

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