Ballarat 'big enough' to beat COVID outbreak but smaller Victorian towns are anxious - ABC News

But Ballarat Health Services (BHS) acting CEO Melanie Robertson said the organisation was working well with the state government to contain the outbreak.

By Friday, about 100 BHS staff who had been to exposure sites were furloughed, while a further 30 health care workers from St John of God, a private hospital, were in the same situation.

But Ms Robertson said they still could still maintain their usual health services for the community.

"It is still very, very safe to attend health care in Ballarat and get the health care that you need.".

"We've got significant furloughed staff at the moment," she said.

"We know that we need those staff to provide the health care necessary for our community.".

But Claire Holt from Portland District Health, responsible for the care of about 12,000 people in Victoria's far southwest, said a similar outbreak there would cause "real strife", reducing the number of available hospital beds, halting elective surgery and possibly closing outpatient services.

Ms Holt said it would be difficult to call on staff from other health services because that would mean "taking them out of jobs in other places in the state". .

Meanwhile, Claire Holt said Portland Health was trying to vaccinate as many people as possible before the virus arrived