BALLARAT COVID UPDATE | Wednesday, November 17
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NEW CASES: 1 (up from 0 yesterday)
ACTIVE CASES: 29 (down from 30 yesterday)
Ballarat has recorded one new COVID case, breaking it's two day streak without any new infections.
Despite the new case, active cases have dropped by one, to 29.
Today's new case is listed in the 3356 postcode, taking the number of ongoing cases in that area to six.
The 3350 postcode has 13 active infections.
Neighbouring Moorabool Shire has recorded four new COVID cases, with three listed in the 3340 postcode and one in the 3342 area.
The number of active cases in the shire has also dropped from 91 yesterday to 88.
The Pyrenees Shire has not recorded any new cases, however the number of active cases stands at one.
Golden Plains and Hepburn Shire are also clear of any new infections, however active cases in both shires have dropped.
VICTORIAN COVID UPDATE | Wednesday, November 17
NEW CASES: 996 (up from 797 yesterday)
DEATHS: 9 (up from 8 yesterday)
ACTIVE CASES: 14,260 (up from 14,131 yesterday)
IN HOSPITAL: 357 (down from 394 yesterday)
IN ICU: 58 (down from 72 yesterday)
ON VENTILATOR: 35 (down from 44 yesterday)
Victoria has recorded 996 new COVID-19 cases and nine people have died with the virus, as hospitalisation numbers continue to decline.
The health department confirmed on Wednesday the state is now managing 14,260 active coronavirus infections.
It is the fourth straight day Victoria's case numbers are below 1000.
There are 394 virus patients in hospital, 37 fewer than Tuesday's tally, with 58 actively infected with COVID-19, 65 have been cleared, and 35 on ventilators.
The state's seven-day hospitalisation average has fallen by 16 to 402.
Health officials say virus testers processed 72,010 results on Tuesday and 6692 people were vaccinated at state-run hubs.
Victoria is now 87 per cent double-vaccinated in those aged over 12.
Once the 90 per cent mark is reached, predicted about November 24, Victorians are promised a return to normality with patron caps removed and masks only required on public transport and in high-risk settings.
Ballarat will be hoping for second consecutive day of zero COVID cases when numbers are released later today.
The city continues to perform remarkably well in keeping the virus at bay, with just 30 active cases in Ballarat.
Further afield in regional Victoria, other key cities are witnessing far greater numbers than Ballarat.
Shepparton (331 active cases), Geelong (291), Bendigo (174), Latrobe (309), Wodonga (101) and Mildura (72) all continue to see far higher numbers than Ballarat.
Meanwhile, protesters have awoken after spending another night occupying the steps of the Victorian parliament in anger at the state government's proposed pandemic laws.
Debate on the Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment (Pandemic Management) Bill began in the upper house on Tuesday afternoon and went well into the night.
It is on hold until Wednesday as the chamber deals with non-government business but it is expected to resume on Thursday.
The bill, which gives the premier and health minister the power to declare a pandemic and make public health orders, is all but guaranteed to pass after the government made amendments to secure the support of three crossbench MPs.
But it has become a lightning rod for anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination groups, with hundreds of protesters planning to camp out on the steps of parliament for the duration of the debate.
A video posted on social media shows the protesters gathered around a wooden gallows chanting "Freedom", "Traitor", "Kill Dan Andrews" and "Hang Dan Andrews" while attempting to place the head of an inflatable doll of the premier through the noose.
Premier Daniel Andrews said the scenes outside parliament were not a reflection of the Victorian community, given the overwhelming majority had been vaccinated against COVID-19, and he accused the opposition of playing "political games".
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