NEW CASES: 214 (up from 186 yesterday)

ACTIVE CASES: 992 (up from 941 yesterday)

Ballarat has reported 214 new cases of COVID in the 24 hours to midnight, Wednesday.

The number of new cases are up on the 186 reported yesterday.

There are now 992 active cases in the city, an increase on the 941 as of Wednesday.

Even though the total number of new cases listed in official figures from the Department of Health is 214, the total number of new cases listed within the postcode breakdown is 234.

The Moorabool Shire has recorded 81 new cases while 38 new infections have been added to the Golden Plains Shire's tally.

The Hepburn Shire has reported 18 new cases while the Pyrenees Shire has ten new cases.

VICTORIAN COVID UPDATE | Thursday, January 20

NEW CASES: 21,966 (up from 20,769 yesterday)

DEATHS: 15 (down from 18 yesterday)

ACTIVE CASES: 246,894 (down from 253,827 yesterday)

IN HOSPITAL: 1206 (up from 1,173 yesterday)

IN ICU: 122 (down from 125 yesterday)

ON VENTILATOR: 40 (down from 42 yesterday)

Victoria has recorded 21,966 new COVID-19 cases and 15 deaths, as the interval between second and third doses shortens to three months at state hubs.

The new infections, confirmed by the health department on Thursday, include 11,693 from PCR tests and 10,273 from rapid antigen tests.

It brings the total number of active cases in the state to 246,894, which includes 1206 people in hospital, an increase of 33 on Wednesday's figures.

The number of people in intensive care sits at 122 and there are 40 people on ventilation.

In Ballarat, the number of active cases remained below 1000 for the second day in a row yesterday.

However, the active case count in Ballarat has bounced around inconsistently of late.

The number of actual cases in Ballarat is guaranteed to be much higher given rapid tests are not counted in location data.

The latest figures will be released later today.

According to the latest data publicly released, there are 14 people in Ballarat in hospital with COVID.

Victoria's booster rate has risen to 27 per cent after the government immediately slashed the interval to three months at its state-run clinics on Wednesday.

Some 60,000 additional appointments will be available as part of the four-day "booster blitz" beginning on Friday at eight of the state-run vaccination hubs.

Hours at major hubs including Bendigo, La Trobe University and Sandown have been extended specifically for the blitz, while more than 100 GPs and pharmacies across the state will receive grants to provide additional appointments at the weekend.

Premier Daniel Andrews flagged the possibility the booster would soon become mandatory for a person to be considered fully vaccinated, noting a mandate was imposed for several essential industries last week.

Professor Rhonda Stuart, an infectious disease expert who runs the Health Department's South Eastern Public Health Unit, said people who had a booster shot were less likely to have COVID-19 symptoms if infected, and less likely to be hospitalised.

Fewer than five per cent of people in ICU have received a booster shot, she said.

Prof Stuart warned young people against deliberately catching the virus and said natural immunity after infection waned more quickly than that provided by a booster vaccine.

Meanwhile, a safe return to schools for students and teachers in the wake of rising Omicron cases of COVID-19 will be on the table when national cabinet meets.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and state and territory leaders will on Thursday also discuss free rapid antigen tests for vulnerable people, as pressure mounts on the government to provide universal access.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said schools were safe to reopen, despite most five to 11-year-olds yet to receive their first vaccine dose.

"We've seen 492,000 school children (be vaccinated) in a matter of days starting with the program last week," Mr Hut told ABC Radio.

"(On Wednesday), 56,000 children came forward with their parents, and we will pass the half a million mark today.

"It is increasing by 50,000 a day on week days and it shows Australians are coming forward and they're protecting their children and they're helping to protect the school environment."

The interval between doses for five to 11-year-olds is set at eight weeks, and Mr Hunt said the timing between vaccinations won't be lowered to get more children fully vaccinated sooner.

National cabinet will meet to consider a unified approach for a return to schools.

However, the prime minister said how states and territories will use RATs for students and teachers will be a matter for each jurisdiction.

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said there would be enough RATs coming into the country to meet the demand from schools.

"We are confident we can work with the states and territories around the return-to-school plan to make sure they can occur safely, securely, including the use of rapid antigen tests where necessary," he told ABC TV.

It comes as the medical regulator overnight approved two new oral treatments for COVID-19.

They include the Pfizer-made Paxlovid, along with Lagevrio, made by the manufacturer Merck.

The products are the first oral treatments to be approved in Australia and will be used for adults who don't require oxygen and are at increased risk of hospitalisation.

Mr Hunt said 500,000 courses of Paxlovid has been ordered while 300,000 Lagevrio courses have been ordered by the government and is expected to arrive in coming weeks.

"They will help people at risk from going from mild to moderate symptoms and have been deemed by medical professional to lessen the risk of progression to more serious conditions," he said.

"They will build on what we are already doing with intravenous treatments in hospitals."

The Therapeutic Goods Administration said the new treatments are not a substitute for a vaccine.

As hospital systems across the country struggle with the influx of cases, Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie suggested defence force members be called in to assist.

"You have about 70,000 defence force personnel, full-time ones, and they are quite capable," she told the Nine Network.

"Give them instructions and they will follow them, they will do whatever. Somebody needs to get in and help the first responders out."

with AAP

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