COVID-19 update for south-west Victoria: January 6

The wait time for the drive through clinic at Deakin University as of Thursday afternoon is around 20 minutes.

South West Healthcare tested 896 people on Wednesday, more than two-and-a-half times the maximum capacity at its Merri Street clinic, which has been closed.

"Testing times are still looking much better than yesterday and we are seeing a decrease in demand at Deakin," SWH said.

Walk-in testing is also available at the former Callaghan Motors site at 133 Fairy Street.

Signage on the Clinical Labs site indicates it is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm and Saturday from 8am to 12pm.

Wait times are reported to be around 40 minutes for that clinic.

In the biggest change to the COVID-19 testing system since the beginning of the pandemic, Victorians won't have to line up to get a PCR test and wait for their result to be diagnosed with COVID-19.

READ MORE: Mandatory reporting of positive COVID-19 rapid antigen tests effective from tonight

Active cases as of January 6 in south-west Victoria are:

SWH will be deferring any surgeries that are not classified as Category 1 or emergency from January 10.

Procedures after that date will be cancelled and patients can expect to be contacted by their specialist or general practitioner, SWH said.

Elective surgery across the state is being reduced in order to respond to the increasing number of patients with coronavirus.

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