Greater Bendigo records 13 new COVID-19 cases

The municipality had a total of 117 active cases on Saturday, slightly down on the 119 on Thursday, which is the last day information is publicly available for.

Eight of the newest cases have been linked to Bendigo's 3550 postcode and five were found in the rural 3551 area which incorporates large parts of the local government area.

One case was also found in Kangaroo Flat's 3555 postcode.

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Elsewhere in the region, the Campaspe Shire recorded 10 cases, Loddon one, the Central Goldfields three, Mount Alexander three and the Macedon Ranges 21.

Numbers stabilised in Victoria earlier today (see below) and also in New South Wales, which had a slight decrease on what had otherwise been a week of record-breaking daily totals.

It had 18,278 cases according to the latest available statistics.

It is unclear whether numbers will start climbing again as New Year's get togethers start influencing case loads across Australia.

Until Friday, Victoria's daily COVID-19 numbers had risen seven days in a row.

Earlier

VICTORIA has added another 7172 COVID-19 cases to its tally as Australia's prime minister goes on alert.

Scott Morrison is himself monitoring for symptoms after a positive case attended a Sydney press conference that focused on the post-Christmas COVID-19 surge.

He does not need to isolate or take a PCR test under current NSW health guidelines.

The outdoor press conference took place on December 29 when Mr Morrison announced a snap meeting of national cabinet.

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Everyone was wearing face masks.

New South Wales announced on Saturday that it had 22,577 new cases.

Another three Victorians died on Saturday, according to new Department of Health data.

A total of 472 people spent New Years Day in hospital, 52 in intensive care and 22 on ventilators.

Health workers tested 48,252 people for the virus.

There are now 31,461 active cases in Victoria.

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The total number of new cases in the state is down on the figure of 7442 revealed a day earlier.

It marks the end of a seven-day stretch of consecutive rises in Victoria's daily COVID-19 case rate.

The department did not publish information on Greater Bendigo or other local government areas on Saturday, much like it did not on Christmas Day.

Last Thursday, 116 people had COVID-19 in the Greater Bendigo area and case numbers had been climbing during a post-Christmas bump.

- With Australian Associated Press

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