The hospital will introduce a visiting hour from 2pm to 3pm every day. One person will be able to visit a patient for 15 minutes when it is pre-arranged with the nursing manager.

Bendigo Health board chair Bob Cameron announced the changes on Thursday morning with visitors to pre-arrange visits through a nursing manager.

"As a result of the lifting of physical restrictions across the state, we're also making some changes at Bendigo health with visiting hours," he said.

"The reason it has to be pre-arranged is so we have an idea of how many people are coming into the hospital at any one time. This will also will be the case for residential aged care facilities.

"(But) just by having a visitor a day, it will perk people up. Its a good and safe measure, that's the important thing."

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Specialised units will also have the potential for longer visits based on compassionate grounds.

Mr Cameron said those visits would be at the discretion of the nurse unit manager.

"With these specilised units, it will be at the discretion of the nurse unit manager and is particularly around compassionate grounds," he said. "That is for units such as the children's, intensive care unit and the respiratory unit."

"We have to be careful not to relax too much. A lot of people come in and out of the hospital each day and we only need one case of coronavirus and it will cause significant ramifications for us.

"We hope we don't see a second spike but in the event we do, we will have to withdraw and I'm sure the public will understand."

Mr Cameron said people should not bring flowers to patients but that gifts and food we welcome if wrapped.

"We still don't want people to bring flowers but people might (want to) bring gifts or food that is wrapped," he said. "They will be left downstairs and staff will wipe the wrapping as a precaution and then it will be taken to patients.

"This is a very cautious approach we're adopting but people have to understand we have to to limit any second wave that might occur.

"We do know (hugging) does occur. Emotions run high when people are in hospital but we prefer people to keep their distance and practice that whatever their circumstances are.

"To avoid a second spike, people have to be particular around their social distancing. The reason for that is people have to be self responsible. Sure, the rules are being relaxed but people need to be responsible for themselves. Particularly if you are older or have preexisting conditions."

Bendigo Health has conducted more than 4900 COVID-19 in hte past seven weeks including 3090 in the past two weeks.

"No one in central Victoria has (tested positive) for coronavirus in tests (in the past fortnight). That's why we are seeing rules relaxed at present time," Mr Cameron said. "We thank the community of central Victoria for all their physical distance and flattening of curve efforts.

"I also want to thank the staff of Bendigo Health. If you think back seven weeks ago, there was a lot of running around and organising. (Staff) have really stepped up and done a fantastic job in dealing with the challenges and we're very proud of them."