Ballarat COVID update | Friday, January 28: 97 new cases, 675 active cases

NEW CASES: 97 (down from 121 yesterday)

ACTIVE CASES: 675 (down from 725 yesterday)

Ballarat has recorded less than 100 new COVID cases in the 24 hours to midnight, Thursday.

There are 97 cases in the latest reporting period, a drop 24 on cases reported yesterday.

The number of active cases continues to fall as well. There are 675 ongoing infections in the city, down from 725 yesterday.

In other areas:

VICTORIAN COVID UPDATE | Friday, January 28

NEW CASES: 12,755 (down from 13,755 yesterday)

DEATHS: 39 (up from 15 yesterday)

ACTIVE CASES: 101,605 (down from 119,153 yesterday)

IN HOSPITAL: 988 (down from 1,057 yesterday)

IN ICU: 114 (down from 117 yesterday)

ON VENTILATOR: 40 (same as 40 yesterday)

Victoria has recorded 12,755 new COVID-19 infections and 39 people have died with the virus, the most deaths since the state's deadly second wave.

The new infections, confirmed by the health department on Friday, include 5345 from PCR tests and 7410 from rapid antigen tests.

It brings the total number of active cases in the state to 101,605.

Friday's death toll is the highest the state has seen since Victoria's second wave when 59 fatalities were recorded on September 4, 2020.

It also comes two days after 35 deaths were reported.

Hospitalisations with COVID-19 have fallen by 69 to 988 patients, down from 1057 on Thursday.

There are 114 people in intensive care, a decrease of three, with 40 of those on a ventilator.

More than 35 per cent of Victorians aged over 18 have received a COVID-19 vaccine booster, with 23,252 doses administered at state hubs on Thursday.

In Ballarat, the number of active cases continued to fall yesterday.

The latest figures will be updated today.

The official health department figures show there are 725 active cases in Ballarat, a number that has fallen for five consecutive days.

However, it must be noted that rapid tests do not count towards location data so the true number is certain to be higher.

Meanwhile, teenagers will soon be able to get a COVID-19 booster shot after the medical regulator granted provisional approval for the Pfizer vaccine.

Previously, only people 18 years and older had been able to get a booster shot.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration said dosing for 16 and 17-year-olds will be the same as boosters used in adult populations.

Teenagers who have received any type of COVID-19 vaccine will be able to get the Pfizer vaccine booster.

A final decision on the timing of the booster rollout for teenagers is still to be made by the leading advisory group on immunisation, ATAGI.

The medical regulator said it was still monitoring trials for booster doses for younger children.

- with AAP

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