COVID infections in Sunbury and Macedon Ranges continue to raise as the state battles the Omicron outbreak.
Department of Health data reveals 95 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the 3429 postcode, which takes in Sunbury and Wildwood, in the 24 hours to Monday.
There are now 539 actives cases in the postcode.
The Macedon Ranges recorded 54 new cases during the same period, taking the number of active cases to 341.
COVID cases in the Ranges have been on the rise since the start of the year, with 247 cases identified between January 2 and January 10.
Overall, Victoria recorded 37,994 new cases on Tuesday.
The rise in cases comes as vaccine mandates loom for workers in some critical industries.
Under new pandemic orders coming into place from 11.59pm Wednesday, workers in key sectors who are already required to be fully vaccinated must get their third dose before being permitted to work onsite.
This will apply to healthcare, aged care, disability, emergency services, correctional facility, quarantine accommodation and food distribution workers. Workplaces must sight and record proof of vaccination.
Workers eligible for a third dose on or before January 12 will have until February 12 to get their third dose. Workers not yet eligible for a third dose will be required to get it within three months and two weeks of the deadline to receive their second mandatory dose.
Retail supermarket staff are not included in the mandate.
Meanwhile, Ambulance Victoria recorded its second “code red” alert in the space of a week.
The alert was issued just after midnight on Tuesday, with Ambulance Victoria warning the system was facing “extremely high demand” across metropolitan Melbourne.
Ambulance Victoria urged the community to use Nurse on Call services or report to a GP if they did not have an emergency illness.
The alert stayed in effect for more than three hours.
A “code red” alert was also issued overnight last Wednesday.
