VICTORIA has recorded 43 new COVID-19 cases and nine deaths overnight, taking the state’s COVID-19 death toll to 710.
The deaths include one female in her 50s, one female in her 70s, three males in their 80s and four females in their 90s.
Seven of those deaths were linked to aged care outbreaks.
There are 140 Victorians in hospital with 12 in intensive care and eight on ventilators.
Premier, Daniel Andrews said there had been 13,341 additional COVID-19 tests since yesterday and 4303 cases with an unknown source, a decrease of three.
“I ask anyone in Victoria who has symptoms no matter how mild those symptoms are, please come forward and get tested,” he said.
“There are more than 200 test sites, more than 90 per cent of those test results are coming back within one day, it’s a massive contribution that you can make.”
Regional Victorians living under stage three restrictions will have some restrictions eased this Sunday at 11.59pm.
The next trigger point for further easing of restrictions is recording a 14-day average below five cases per day and going two weeks without a “mystery” infection.
Currently, the rolling 14-day case average is 65.3 in metropolitan Melbourne and 4.7 in regional Victoria.
There are currently 74 active COVID-19 cases in regional Victoria.
Mr Andrews said regional Victoria's suppression of COVID-19 “sends a clear message to metro Melbourne”.
“Again, we see low numbers in regional Victoria, and they remain low,” he said.
“Regional Victoria is poised to take at least a step and potentially two steps, we will have more to say about that next week as get we closer to that 14-day maker as we had indicated.
“This is an opportunity for us to say thank you to every single regional Victorian, from a big regional city to the smallest of country towns – they are doing a mighty job in coming forward and getting tested.
“That is why we have been able to drive these numbers down.
“I think it sends a clear message to people in metro Melbourne as well, that it is possible to drive these numbers down to a very low level, and then keep them low.”
Colac-Otway Shire has 33 active cases, an increase of four, and there are 10 active cases in Geelong, an increase of one.
Mr Andrews said the low numbers were “optimistic” and he hoped numbers in regional Victoria would continue to fall.
