GREATER Bendigo has recorded another 164 COVID 19 cases even as total numbers in the municipality fall back below 1000.

There are now 963 active cases, according to Department of Health data covering Monday testing periods.

It is a drop from the 1010 recorded 24 hours earlier but comes at a time when new daily case numbers have risen back into the 100s in Greater Bendigo.

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Of the new cases found on Monday, 41 were linked to Bendigo's 3550 postcode.

Another 31 were traced to Kangaroo Flat's 3555 postcode and 17 to Eaglehawk's 3556.

A total of 69 were found in the rural 3551 postcode stretching east and west of Bendigo.

Other areas of Greater Bendigo recorded far less cases including Marong, which had six new cases, and Heathcote, which had two.

The high case numbers has helped push Greater Bendigo past another milestone on Tuesday.

One of the people confirmed to have COVID-19 on Monday has the distinction of being the 10,000^th person to catch the virus in the municipality.

Elsewhere in central Victoria, the Macedon Ranges Shire recorded 76 new cases, Mount Alexander 16, the Central Goldfields 11 and Campaspe 92.

Gannawarra Shire recorded 23 - a notable rise given the rural area has typically had very few cases at any one time during the pandemic.

The Buloke Shire had 10 new cases.

Earlier

VICTORIA has recorded another 9,785 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours as Bendigo prepares for the return of international tourists.

A total of 575 people were hospitalised with the virus on Monday, 72 of whom were in intensive care and 30 on ventilators.

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Sadly, another 20 people have died with COVID-19 overnight.

Of the tests processed, 7,216 of which were rapid antigen tests and 2,569 were laboratory PCR tests.

The cases were added on the same day the federal government announced it would reopen borders to double vaccinated tourists from February 21.

Prime minister Scott Morrison confirmed the changes after his cabinet's national security committee met on Monday.

It was welcomed by a Bendigo tourism leader who said it allowed short and long term planning to start on strategies to bring more sought after international visitors into Bendigo.

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