BALLARAT COVID UPDATE | Wednesday, December 29:
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NEW CASES: 15 (up from 13 yesterday)
ACTIVE CASES: 92 (up from 87 yesterday)
Ballarat has broken its record for the number of new COVID-19 cases, with 15 new infections reported in the 24 hours to midnight Tuesday.
It comes as Victoria and New South Wales also reported record daily cases.
Ten new cases have been reported in the 3350 postcode, while the 3355 area has reported three new cases.
There are also two cases listed in the 3356 area and one new case in 3352.
There are now 92 active cases in the city.
The Moorabool Shire has seen five new infections reported, with its active case tally at 67.
The Golden Plains Golden Plains Shire has also had five new cases reported, while two new cases have been reported in the Hepburn Shire.
The Pyrenees Shire has reported one new case.
VICTORIAN COVID UPDATE | Wednesday, December 29
NEW CASES: 3,767 (up from 2,738 yesterday)
DEATHS: 5 (up from 4 yesterday)
ACTIVE CASES: 19,994 (up from 17,821 yesterday)
IN HOSPITAL: 397 (up from 361 yesterday)
IN ICU: 62 (down from 69 yesterday)
ON VENTILATOR: 28 (down from 33 yesterday)
Victoria has seen another increase of new daily COVID numbers, with 3,767 reported on Wednesday morning.
Five people have died from the virus.
Active cases and hospitalisations have increased, while the number of people in the ICU and on a ventilator have dropped slightly.
Victoria's cases are far below figures reported by New South Wales, which as seen 11,201 new cases along with three deaths.
There are 625 people in hospital and 61 in the ICU.
Victorians will get 34 million free rapid antigen tests by the end of January.
On the same day the state posted its highest COVID-19 daily infection tally, with 3767 new cases, the state government announced it will ramp up access to at-home tests.
"Rapid antigen testing is the way that Victorians can have confidence as they go about living with COVID and making sure that they do their bit to keep the pressure off our hard working hospitals," Health Minister Martin Foley said on Wednesday.
"We would much prefer to have a national approach to what is a national, indeed an international, supply issue. but failing that, as per usual, the states have had to step up over the course of this pandemic and fill the gap left."
How the tests will be distributed is still being worked out.
The state is already handing out free rapid tests in some circumstances, including to students and staff exposed at schools.
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