Victoria has reported a record 1,890 new Covid-19 cases and five deaths overnight, as contact tracing is scaled back to focus on positive cases and primary contacts.
It comes after the state reported another leap in Covid-19 cases on Saturday with a record-breaking 1,965 cases recorded, along with five deaths.
State-wide there were 39,861 vaccines administered and 74,105 tests conducted in the last 24 hours.
Health officials have decided secondary close contacts will no longer be required to isolate, as authorities change their processes to manage escalating case numbers.
Victoria is on the brink of recording more than 2000 daily cases after a record-breaking 1,965 cases on Saturday (pictured, a couple walk their dog on St Kilda beach)
Friends pose on St Kilda Beach as Victoria records a record-breaking 1,965 cases on Saturday
Health Department deputy secretary Kate Matson said since Victoria was no longer pursuing a Covid-zero strategy, about 16,000 secondary contacts would be able to leave isolation at the weekend.
'In an environment where we are unfortunately close to 2000 cases a day, the public health risk isn't there in terms of secondary close contacts when you weigh it up with the operational impact,' she said on Saturday.
'So we want to dedicate our resources to primarily close contacts, confirmed cases and sensitive exposure sites.'
Primary contacts will be asked to isolate away from the rest of their household, and secondary contacts are still encouraged to get tested if they show symptoms.
Asked whether the state would reach 3000 cases a day by the end of October, Ms Matson said 'at this point in time, we are on track in terms of hospitalisations and case numbers'.
She said the Burnet Institute was working on fresh modelling, given the high cases numbers, which would be released later this week.
As daily case numbers grow health officials have decided secondary close contacts will no longer be required to isolate (pictured, people enjoy a picnic in Melbourne on Saturday)
Of eligible Victorians 85 per cent have had one dose and 57 per cent have had two as of Friday (pictured, a paramedic prepares his ambulance in Victoria on Saturday)
Vaccinations continue to rise in Victoria, with 85 per cent of those aged over 16 vaccinated with one dose as of Friday, and 57 per cent fully vaccinated.
'It's so vitally important that everybody who can get vaccinated does get vaccinated because that's our ticket out of this pandemic,' Assistant Treasurer Danny Pearson said.
A small number of protests were held in Melbourne on Saturday, with police arresting three people and fining 27 for breaching public health orders.
Meanwhile, Mildura residents are entering day two of a seven-day lockdown to contain growing coronavirus cases, with active infections in the area growing to 37.
Health officials in three states are on alert after a Victorian flight attendant worked on return Virgin flights from Melbourne to Adelaide, Sydney and Newcastle while infectious from October 4 to 6.
It comes as the amount of time Melbourne's children have been confined to home due to the pandemic has exceeded
