BALLARAT COVID UPDATE | Thursday, January 6
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NEW CASES: 212 (up from 195 yesterday)
ACTIVE CASES: 531 (up from 386 yesterday)
Ballarat has recorded 212 new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to midnight, Wednesday.
The latest numbers are an increase on the 195 new cases reported on Tuesday, but are not a near doubling that has been seen in the previous few days.
There are now 531 active cases in the city.
The Moorabool Shire has reported 76 new cases of the virus, while the Golden Plains has recorded 26.
Twenty-four new cases have been reported in the Hepburn Shire, while the Pryenees Shire has seen seven new cases.
VICTORIAN COVID UPDATE | Thursday, January 6
NEW CASES: 21,997 (up from 17,636 yesterday)
DEATHS: 6 (down from 11 yesterday)
ACTIVE CASES: 61,120 (up from 51,317 yesterday)
IN HOSPITAL: 631 (up from 591 yesterday)
IN ICU: 51 (down from 53 yesterday)
ON VENTILATOR: 22 (upfrom 20 yesterday)
Victoria's COVID-19 case numbers have rocketed up again with 21,997 new cases recorded.
The figures come from 64,861 test results, meaning one in three people getting tested has returned a positive result in the most recent reporting period.
Six more people have died.
Hospitalisations are up slightly again, to 631 on Thursday from 591 the day before.
There are now 51 people in intensive care and 22 on ventilators.
By 9am on Thursday there were 35 state-run PCR testing sites closed because they were over capacity.
That comes despite changes introduced by national cabinet on Wednesday, meaning people who record a positive from a rapid antigen test will no longer have to get their results confirmed by a PCR.
That decision is expected to ease some of the pressure on PCR sites, though RATs remain in short supply.
Victoria has ordered an extra 10 million rapid tests, taking the total number headed for the state to 44 million.
Acting premier Jacinta Allan said the first of those would be deployed in the coming days though it is still unclear how they will be distributed.
Ballarat's numbers are expected to be released later this afternoon.
- with AAP
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