Grampians Public Health officials will make "no sudden moves or changes" as a state-wide Code Brown comes into effect today.
The measure is set to affect non-urgent services such as routine outpatient services and community programs.
Announced by Acting Health Minister James Merlino yesterday, the code would also delay planned staff leave.
It is understood the last Code Brown in the Grampians Public Health area was at the Ballarat Base Hospital in 2019.
GPH chief medical officer Matthew Hadfield said at this stage the only hospital in the region taking COVID-19 patients was the Ballarat Base Hospital.
In the Grampians area, 14 new hospital in-patients were recorded with COVID-19.
Dr Hadfield added GPH was losing between 50 and 100 shifts per day due to COVID-19 isolation and illness.
But despite that — and despite offers from numerous staff — no leave will be cancelled.
"We have had a number of staff offered to cancel however … we have an exhausted staff; the pressure on all departments … every part of the hospital has been gradually increasing.
"Our staff are working remarkably well."
Dr Hadfield said they were still investigating how best to support staff through the crisis, and that all hospitals in the region with capacity to treat COVID patients would be considered if Ballarat Base Hospital became inundated.
He added that while staff learned about the Code Brown yesterday, they had been anticipating the formal announcement for two years.
"We already have plans for Saint John of God Hospital to assist with the COVID response," he said on whether private hospitals would be leant on for assistance.
Mr Hadfield said they were aware of a single COVID-19 outbreak in a Ballarat aged care facility and were seeking advice on visitor restrictions to the city's aged care sites.
Paul Gilbert, acting secretary of the Australian Nurses and Midwifery Federation, said hospitals were at crisis level last week but it was only getting worse.
He said Victorian hospitals facing low nurse staffing levels ranged from extreme to severe.
"In some cases, they have half the staff they normally would have to care for the patient cohort," Mr Gilbert said.
"All that can be done now is you continue to wind down the pressure … and maximising the use of other services that are out there, including private hospitals."
