Victoria records 183 new local COVID-19 cases

Victoria has recorded another 183 new cases of COVID-19 in the last day, as authorities push for higher testing rates.

There were 48,000 tests conducted yesterday and 29,000 jabs administered across the state.

There are now currently 1417 cases attributed to the latest Delta outbreak.

https://twitter.com/VicGovDH/status/1434286614633582598 Cars enter a drive through COVID testing site in Brunswick in Melbourne.

Victoria's COVID-19 Response Commander Jeroen Weimar said the state is seeing the Delta strain as having a "high attack rate".

"What we are seeing is a very high attack rate, and a message to those who continue to operate the essential businesses that we are maintaining, it is so important that your COVID-safe protocols are as strong as you can possibly make them," Mr Weimar said.

"We are seeing levels of community transmission that we have not seen for a long time, you need to make sure your workplaces are as safe as they can be.

"There are literally thousands of people on the ground dealing with this COVID response across Melbourne in particular, and of course in other parts of our Victorian community."

Mr Weimar also urged Victorian to take care of payments that support workers while they wait for the results of their COVID-19 test.

"There are $450 test isolation payments available and I'm pleased to confirm that over 6000 people a day are applying for those test and isolation payments," Mr Weimar said.

"If you need that extra bit of support to get tested because you can't afford to miss a day of work, you can't afford to miss a shift, you need the extra income, please get tested, knowing that 6000 people a day are applying and getting those payments."

The worst is 'yet to come'

Yesterday, officials warned residents across the state must prepare for higher case numbers, saying that the worst has yet to come.

Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton that number are likely to bounce around, and that a one day decrease in number is not a trend in the right direction.

"One day is not a trend," he said. "We can't say for sure when case numbers will peak.

"The trend over seven-day periods has been incremental increasing and I expect that to happen until we get higher vaccination coverage.

"Professor Sutton said cases may have surged due to more incursions of the virus from Sydney that went undetected, insisting "we got our arms around that earlier outbreak".