Half of the residents at a Stawell aged care facility have COVID amid a surge in cases across the Northern Grampians.
Of the 89 residents at Eventide Homes, 44 had COVID as of 5pm yesterday.
Twelve staff are also infected, while the facility is awaiting the return of more PCR test results.
Eventide Homes chief executive Gary Simpson told the ABC the first resident was diagnosed on Friday July 1, and more infections were expected.
He said the majority of positive residents did not have any symptoms, which suggested the strain was mild.
"We have a very small majority with a dry cough and sniffly nose," Mr Simpson said.
Mr Simpson said all residents were being closely monitored.
State authorities directed the facility to go into lockdown, meaning no visitors are allowed and residents must stay put.
The lockdown is being reviewed on a daily basis.
Mr Simpson acknowledged the pressure the new restrictions could have on the mental health of residents.
Support flowing to facility
Mr Simpson says Grampians Public Health Unit staff and registered nurses have been helping during the outbreak and that there had been contact with the ADF.
"We are open to any support available and why wouldn't we — we'd be silly not to consider any offers of assistance," he said.
"We have the assistance of the clinical first responder who has been on site, and she is an absolute expert who has been in other facilities around the country in outbreak mode. We also have a medical response team from Aspen Health.
"I haven't yet had it confirmed, but we are possible receiving a handful of Australian Defence Force people on Friday."
Northern Grampians Shire has recorded its worst weekly COVID case total in five months.
The latest state health data shows 132 people contracted COVID in Northern Grampians in the past week and the number of weekly cases has doubled in the past fortnight.
Seventy-three cases have already been recorded on the first two days of this week, including 50 on Monday.
That equals the third highest single-day total in the shire since the outbreak began.
Northern Grampians Shire has the worst active case rate per capita in Victoria.
One in 30 people in the region have contracted the virus in the past month.
