CASH payments will be available for Victorian businesses struggling through their sixth lockdown through a new support package.

The fund will provide automatic payments of $2,800 to almost 100,000 eligible businesses such as gyms and hairdressers, including sole traders.

Among the plan's elements are COVID-19 disaster payments to workers who lose hours due to lockdowns, and payments of $5000 to $20,000 to licensed hospitality venues across Victoria.

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A small business COVID-19 hardship fund will provide grants of up to $8000 for small businesses not eligible for support under existing programs, who have experienced a 70 per cent drop in turnover.

Alpine businesses will also be able to access a specific support program.

Industry Support and Recovery Minister Martin Pakula announced the business support package on Friday morning, saying it would be worth $400 million for the seven-day lockdown and co-funded by the federal government.

Mr Pakula said the state was waiting for a declaration of Melbourne as a COVID-19 hotspot by the Commonwealth, which would grant affected workers federally-funded payments.

He said those in regional Victoria would be eligible for the same payments, funded by the state.

11.45am

ONE of Victoria's new COVID-19 cases worked as a cleaner at a Melbourne hospital, Victorian health authorities announced on Friday morning.

Authorities confirmed contact tracers were working to track the contacts of six positive COVID-19 cases in Melbourne, none of whom were in isolation while infectious.

They flagged further COVID-19 exposure sites would be listed possibly stretching into regional Victoria, as contact tracers worked.

It came as the state woke up to its sixth lockdown of the pandemic, announced with just four hours notice on Thursday afternoon.

Bendigo businesses warned the state's lockdown would be "catastrophic", coming before they had recovered from the fifth lockdown which ended less than two weeks ago.

Health Minister Martin Foley said Victoria was in a "precarious position", adding together its series of outbreaks.

Mr Foley said it was up to all Victorians to work together, with public health teams, to control the outbreak. He urged anyone eligible for a vaccine to book in for a shot.

"The Victorian community knows what to do ... we can do it again," Mr Foley said.

"If you have to isolate, you must isolate you need to get tested quickly with even the most mild of symptoms, and you need to get vaccinated if you are eligible. If you are out for the five permitted reasons, you must check in everywhere."

Mr Foley thanked people who had tested positive to COVID-19 for their cooperation with contact tracers, saying it was crucial close contacts isolate and get tested.

He said the COVID-19 positive cleaner had worked in the administration area of the Epworth Hospital in Richmond, saying contact tracers were working with the hospital to identify contacts.

Mr Foley said this case was the housemate of the index case for the City of Maribynong outbreak, who worked in Derrimut.

He said this was one of three cases related to this outbreak reported on Thursday, the other two of whom were close contacts living in a different household. One of these attended Warringa Park Special School in Hoppers Crossing.

Mr Foley said Victoria's other three new COVID-19 cases were linked to an outbreak in the Hobsons Bay community, who all lived together in a different household from the original two.

Two flights have also been listed as tier one exposure sites for August 2, one from Sydney to Melbourne, the other from Melbourne to Launceston. Anyone on these flights needs to isolate for 14 days and get tested immediately.

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Victorian COVID-19 commander Jeroen Weimar said more contact tracers would be listed throughout the day, warning they would like spread throughout Melbourne and possibly into regional Victoria.

He said genomic testing had not yet revealed an acquisition source for the cluster, but had confirmed it was a Delta variant.

Mr Weimar reminded Victorians there was a $1500 payment to support self-isolation if people did not have another income source available.

He said authorities thought at least 10,000 people were isolating.

Victorians are allowed to leave the home for just five reasons under a snap seven day lockdown, which began at 8pm on Thursday. These are to get food and supplies, exercise for up to two hours, give or receive care, authorised work or education that cannot be completed at home, or to get vaccinated.

A five kilometre limit from people's home applies to exercise and shopping.

All of Victoria's new cases on Friday were linked to previously reported cases, but were not in isolation during their infectious period.

COVID-19 exposure sites are available on the Department of Health website.

Earlier:

VICTORIANS have woken up to their first day of the state's sixth lockdown since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Department of Health has confirmed there were six new cases of coronavirus overnight as the state's active cases to 75.

The new cases are all linked to previously reported cases and were not in quarantine during their infectious period.

Two of the cases were reported yesterday and are linked to the Al-Taqwa College teacher who tested positive on Wednesday.

In total, there were just under 30,000 tests returned and 18,901 vaccinations administered on Thursday.

More news: Sixth coronavirus lockdown announced for whole of Victoria

Among the new lockdown restrictions for Victoria, there are only five reasons to leave home.

They include to shop for food or essential items, provide or receive care, exercise, work or study if unable to from home or get vaccinated.

Central Victorian hospitality businesses are once again left reeling after they are forced to return to take-away only options.

Hotel Shamrock Bendigo owner Ray Sharawara said the toll on businesses will be "massive again".

"To be honest we hadn't recovered in the same way from lockdown five as we had from lockdown four," he said. "We've had a lot of forward bookings and they'll now all go. It'll be $80,000 down the drain in the week.

"The personal cost to us is catastrophic."

Related: Vax The Nation: giving our community a real shot in the arm

The state's schools will again return to remote learning for the next seven days.

Kangaroo Flat's Crusoe College principal Brad Madden said he was "over it" when the state's sixth coronavirus-related lockdown was announced on Thursday afternoon.

"We're just going through the same motions as before," he said.

"Our last lockdown was pretty similar in how much time we had to prepare, but it makes it difficult for families to prepare and plan everything."

Bendigo Health confirmed their Mollison Street vaccination centre will continue to operate and they encourage anyone eligible to get vaccinated.

It was revealed on Tuesday that Bendigo was leading the nation with the highest percentage of first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered.

New data released by the federal government showed 52.6 per cent of people aged 15 and over have received their first dose in the region.

Thursday marks the one year anniversary Victoria recording 725 cases, the highest daily number of infections in its deadly second wave of the virus, AAP says.

Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed in his Thursday afternoon press conference that the Treasurer would be speaking on Friday morning.

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