NEW CASES: 1 (no change from yesterday)

ACTIVE CASES: 32 (down from 33 yesterday)

Ballarat has recorded one new COVID case in the 24 hours to midnight, with the number of active cases also dropping.

There are 32 active infections across the city, down one from yesterday.

The new case is listed in the 3350 postcode, which now has 17 active cases.

The Moorabool Shire has recorded four new cases, taking the total number of active cases in that LGA to 113.

The Golden Plains Shire has recorded one new case, with its active tally sitting at 11 - a decrease of one since yesterday.

The Pyrenees and Hepburn Shires have not recorded any new cases today.

Greater Shepparton remains one of the regional centres with high COVID cases, after 17 new infections were reported in the latest period.

There are currently 439 active cases.

Greater Geelong has recorded 19 new cases while the number of ongoing cases sites at 310.

Greater Bendigo has 10 new cases, with its active total at 233.

VICTORIAN COVID UPDATE | Monday, November 15

NEW CASES: 860 (down from 905 yesterday)

DEATHS: 5 (up from 4 yesterday)

ACTIVE CASES: 17,518 (up from 17,302 yesterday)

IN HOSPITAL: 378 (down from 394 yesterday)

IN ICU: 71 (down from 75 yesterday)

ON VENTILATOR: 48 (up from 46 yesterday)

Victoria has recorded 860 new COVID-19 infections and five people have died, as childcare services in the state are sent rapid tests to help children identified as close contacts return sooner.

Victoria is managing 17,518 total active cases, the health department said on Monday.

It is the second day the state's case numbers have dropped below 1000, after reporting 905 cases on Sunday.

There are 378 virus patients in hospital, 78 in ICU are actively infected with COVID-19 and 71 have been cleared, with 48 on ventilators.

Health officials say virus testers processed 48,104 results in the 24 hours to Sunday evening, and 5030 people were vaccinated.

Victoria is now 87 per cent double vaccinated in those aged over 12.

The latest figures come as young children who become primary close contacts will be allowed to return to childcare after seven days, as long as they perform a rapid COVID-19 tests for 14 days.

The state government will distribute free rapid antigen testing kits to kindergartens and long daycare centres this week to help manage COVID-19 outbreaks in early childhood services.

From Monday, eligible kindergartens and long daycare services are invited to opt into a program to receive at-home rapid antigen tests for kids identified as primary close contacts.

This will halve quarantine for those children to seven days, with kids allowed to return to early childhood services after quarantine if they test negative to COVID-19 in a PCR test on day six.

To attend childcare again, children must return negative rapid antigen tests each they attend a service, from days eight to 14.

Families must report the test results to their childcare provider each morning before attending.

In Ballarat, there was just one new COVID cases recorded over the weekend as the city continues to prevent significant spread of the virus.

The daily Ballarat numbers will be revealed later today.

The latest weekly COVID vaccination data will likely be released on Monday afternoon, which could see Ballarat exceed the 95% fully vaccinated mark.

Ballarat had reached 91.3% when figures were last released on Monday, November 8.

Meanwhile, all Victorian residential aged care staff must now be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to go to work.

Across Victoria, 87 per cent of people aged 12 and over are double vaccinated.

Controversial mandates, which sparked violent protests among construction sector employees across Melbourne in September, require about one million of Victoria's essential workers in total to be double-jabbed by November 26.

Anyone with a valid medical exemption will be able to continue working.

Meanwhile, the state government will direct $20 million to help reignite the state's live music and festival scene.

Musicians and industry professionals will be encouraged back to work with an $8 million live show program.

Festivals will also receive $8 million to assist with recovery from the impact of rescheduled and cancelled events, and $4 million will be used to fund performances in Melbourne's CBD and inner-city.

An Australian-first event interruption insurance product will also give organisers of festivals, business conferences and sporting and community events confidence to plan and stage future events.

It comes as the Vic government and Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry set up a new initiative to encourage businesses to be COVID safe.

Advisers will attend workplaces, ask about key topics and share feedback and strategies.

No penalties will apply to businesses found in need of advice on check-in systems, distancing arrangements and the like.

"It's not about criticising, shaming or dobbing them in," said VCCI chief executive Paul Guerra.

"It's about getting as many businesses as possible to the point where they can safely operate according to the government mandates."

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