11.20am

Greater Bendigo has 49 active cases of COVID-19, with the local government area's virus infections highlighted in Sunday morning's press conference.

Premier Daniel Andrews has urged people in the local government area and the broader region to get tested at the earliest sign of symptoms.

If there was one takeaway from today's briefing, Mr Andrews hoped the importance of people in Greater Bendigo, Geelong and Ballarat getting tested would be it.

"It's really, really important people in those communities - so not just the city itself, but some of the smaller communities that look to Ballarat and Bendigo and Geelong - to come forward and get tested. Really, really important," Mr Andrews said.

He said the numbers in the three communities were stabilising, but getting tested was important to keeping infections low in regional Victoria.

"We want to keep them low and drive them down even further," Mr Andrews said.

There are about 451 cases of COVID-19 in regional Victoria, down from a peak of 512.

Mr Andrews highlighted the importance of getting tested at the earliest sign of symptoms.

He said flu cases in the Victorian community were low this year, partly because of the measures implemented to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

"If you've got cold or flu-like symptoms, there's every chance you've got the virus," Mr Andrews said.

He urged people not to wait two to three days to get tested, but to come forward immediately.

"The best and most important thing for you to do is come forward immediately, as soon as those symptoms begin - don't wait two or three days, that can be when you are most infectious," Mr Andrews said.

He said there were payments of up to $450 available for those isolating at home, if waiting for their result would mean they were out of pocket.

"It's a really powerful and important thing you can do, and you must do if we're all to get to the other side of this," Mr Andrews said.

He also announced an extension of Victoria's State of Emergency to September 13.

This is believed to be the sixth time the State of Emergency has been extended.

The measures can be extended by four weeks at a time, and in place for a total of six months.

Further information about COVID-19 cases by local government area is expected to be released later in the day.

Earlier

VICTORIA recorded 16 deaths to COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

There were 279 new cases of the virus recorded in the same period.

It follows four deaths and 303 new cases in the 24 hours to Saturday.

Further information is expected to be released in the afternoon.

Victoria's Chief Health Officer, Brett Sutton on Saturday said there was some stabilisation in the state's COVID-19 data.

"We are seeing the fruits of a very difficult period of restrictions, and it should continue to trend down," Professor Sutton said.

He said people should have hope and confidence that the measures implemented were manifesting in the state's daily COVID counts.

But Professor Sutton said there was no room for complacency.

Concern remained about the spread of the virus in the state's largest regional cities, with Premier Daniel Andrews urging residents in Bendigo, Ballarat and Geelong to get tested.

Greater Bendigo recorded 54 active cases of the virus in the 24 hours to Saturday, two fewer than the day prior. But its total number of cases since the pandemic started rose by four, to 84.

An outbreak linked to Hazeldene's Chicken Farm in Bendigo gained three new cases, bringing the total number to 29.

There were 91 active cases in central Victoria.

Statewide, Professor Sutton said there were still far too many infections in aged care and health care workers.

He and the premier also drew attention to cases in residential disability homes.

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