12pm
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
GREATER Bendigo's COVID-19 numbers have dropped back below the 500 mark for the first time in nearly a month.
The municipality currently has a total of 485 active cases, meaning the number of residents with the virus has more than halved in the 12 days since January 24.
Another 44 cases found on Wednesday, Department of Health data shows.
The new cases include 12 in Bendigo's 3550 postcode and four in the rural 3551 zone.
Another 13 cases were found in Eaglehawk's 3556 postcode, six in Kangaroo Flat's 3555 area and one in Marong's 3515 zone.
Elsewhere in the region, the Mount Alexander Shire recorded five cases and the Macedon Ranges 18.
The Campaspe Shire had 12 cases, the Loddon Shire zero, the Central Goldfields Shire one and the Gannawarra Shire two.
Meanwhile, the federal government has revealed people aged 16 and 17 years of age have been approved for vaccine boosters.
Earlier
Victoria has recorded 12,157 new COVID-19 cases along with another 34 deaths overnight.
The daily number was made up of 6569 positive rapid antigen tests and 5588 PCR test results.
There was a total of 29,311 PCR tests done on Wednesday.
More news:
The new cases take Victoria's active cases to 66,648, a drop from the 73,886 active cases listed on Wednesday.
Hospitals are caring for 752 COVID positive cases including 82 in intensive care and 29 on ventilators.
It comes as the country's chief medical officer Paul Kelly, said winter would bring fresh challenges to Australia's COVID-19 response.
Professor Kelly on Wednesday told a COVID-19 committee hearing that new outbreaks were likely to hit during the colder months.
"There will be another wave of Omicron, most likely in the winter," he said.
"Every June since 2020 there has been a wave of COVID in Australia and other southern hemisphere countries."
Professor Kelly said the coming winter would also bring with it the additional risk of rising flu cases.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Download our app on iOS and Android
- Bookmark bendigoadvertiser.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter @BgoAddy
- Follow us on Instagram @bendigoadvertiser
- Join us on Facebook
- Follow us on Google News