Across the state, there were 516 people in hospital with COVID-19 on Tuesday. Fifty-six of those patients were receiving intensive care while 24 people were on ventilators.

The state's coronavirus hospitalisations have jumped from 361 patients at the same time last week, while intensive care numbers have dropped.

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With the Omicron variant now accounting for the majority of coronavirus cases in Victoria, COVID commander Jeroen Weimar warned hospitalisations would increase rapidly.

"If we look at the experience in New South Wales, who appear to be about a week or so ahead of us in this pandemic, they're now starting to report quite significant numbers," Mr Weimar told reporters on Monday.

Bendigo Health executive director David Rosaia said hospitals within the Loddon Mallee region were ready to act, with an additional 150 to 200 beds available.

"We are in a very good position because we have a beautiful brand new hospital," Mr Rosaia said. "We do have the space to increase our inpatient capacity.

"If there was a potential limitation, it would be the workforce. But we will endeavour to ensure that we continue to recruit and we continue to have the staff to supply those services."

Mr Rosaia said Bendigo Health would also continue its hospital in the home program. The service has treated about 800 coronavirus patients since it started in September last year.

"Pretty much anyone who is COVID positive in our community gets referred to that program," Mr Rosaia said. "It's a great program that decreases the need for these COVID positives to be in hospital.

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"They're contacted daily and we do some monitoring, so we do their oxygen saturations to see how they're going.

"Of course if they become unwell, they're in our system and they can be referred to the emergency department to be assessed.

"There will then be a determination whether they need to be admitted to our COVID ward."

Mr Rosaia said that program would ease the pressure on the region's health services and ensure only those who were really unwell would end up in hospital.

The executive director said Bendigo Health would also support metropolitan hospitals if required, although he expected the support to go both ways.

"Of course if there was an extreme circumstance where they are at capacity and a referral has been made, then we would consider that seriously," Mr Rosaia said.

"We're really there to support each other where required.

"If we go offline, then we're at capacity and we would expect the metros or Shepparton or Ballarat to do the same."

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