Victoria has recorded another two official cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant, while others in the community have been cleared.
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The health department confirmed the latest cases on Friday, taking the state's total to three after an Omicron-infected returned traveller was identified in hotel quarantine earlier this week.
Both of the latest cases are travellers from overseas, who touched down aboard a flight from Dubai to Melbourne on November 30.
Genomic sequencing is underway to determine whether a third COVID-positive person on the flight is carrying the new variant, which was observed in South Africa and has since spread to more than 50 countries.
All other passengers have been contacted and asked to get a PCR test, as contact tracers attempt to prevent the variant leaking into the community.
In addition, three previously suspected Omicron cases - none of whom had a history of interstate or overseas travel - have either been confirmed or are likely to be infected with the Delta variant, the health department says.
Premier Daniel Andrews has reiterated the state is not chasing an "Omicron zero strategy", describing it as unachievable.
The Omicron response update comes after Victoria earlier reported 1206 new COVID-19 infections, with all except three locally acquired.
It's the fifth day in a row daily infections have been above 1000, but active cases in the state have nevertheless fallen marginally to 11,224.
The state reported just two additional deaths - it's lowest daily tally since October 7.
The latest deaths were people in their 50s and 70s and push Victoria's toll across the pandemic past 1400.
Some 313 patients are still in hospital battling the virus, 104 of whom are in intensive care and 25 on a ventilator. The seven-day hospitalisation average remains steady at 306.
Testers processed 66,784 results on Thursday, while 3925 people were vaccinated in state-run hubs.
Victoria's double-dose vaccination rate for those 12 and up sits at 91.9 per cent, as the state prepares to begin rolling out Pfizer doses to five- to 11-year-olds from January 10 after final approval from Australia's immunisation advisory body.
Australian Associated Press
