Ballarat has recorded its lowest weekly total for COVID-19 cases since the start of the year.
However, health authorities warn COVID cases are being under-reported and they are still dealing with outbreaks in vulnerable settings such as aged care facilities.
According to the latest state health data, as of Sunday, the city had recorded 796 cases over the previous seven days.
It's the first time the weekly case total has been below 800 since January 2 this year, when 180 cases were recorded.
By January 9, weekly case numbers had exploded above 2,300 and the state government had mandated the self-reporting of rapid antigen tests (RATs) to reduce the strain on the PCR testing system.
Weekly case numbers in Ballarat have ebbed and flowed with each new wave of the virus, dropping as low as 859 in the week ending June 19.
The previous lowest weekly total since January 9 was 859 cases on the week ending June 19.
Grampians Health chief strategy and regions officer Dr Rob Grenfell said the lower numbers reported by the state health department were reflected at the Ballarat Base Hospital.
"It is pleasing to see that our hospitalised cases appear to be on a downward trend," Dr Grenfell said.
"[But] the community notified cases are only a representation of the numbers of cases in the community — under-reporting is common.
"We are still managing outbreaks in vulnerable settings, e.g. aged care, across the region."
Dr Grenfell said the number of COVID-positive patients presenting to the emergency department and being admitted to the hospital's COVID ward had "stabilised".
There are 17 patients in the COVID ward at present.
"Our collective regional response has been such that we have been able to control the virus so well," he said.
"A combination of isolating when you have symptoms, getting tested when you have symptoms, high vaccination rates and access to the anti-viral medication have all played a part in this.
"The current number of cases is decreasing due to the high degree of immunity in the community – both from vaccination and from catching COVID."
Dr Grenfell said vaccination rates for third doses in the region were around 80 per cent, but could be higher.
"The outlook for the rest of winter is a continued decrease in the COVID cases, but it won't go away completely, so care is still needed," he said.
Cases declining elsewhere
Meanwhile, COVID numbers are also declining in other parts of south-west Victoria.
Ararat Rural City has the worst per capita rate of COVID in Victoria, but the local government area's weekly total has been dropping over the past three weeks.
One in every 19 people in the municipality has contracted the virus in the past month.
In Warrnambool, 149 cases were recorded last week.
It was only the second time cases had dropped below 150 since the start of the year, with 147 cases recorded the week ending February 27.
