Victoria's dwindling Omicron wave has eased pressure on its once-overrun PCR testing system, as daily COVID-19 cases dropped to an almost five-week low.
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The state posted another 41 COVID-related deaths and 7810 new cases on Saturday, its lowest daily figure since January 2 when 7172 infections were reported.
Of the new cases, 5099 were from positive rapid antigen test results and 2711 positive PCR tests from a total of 22,096 processed in the 24-hour window.
Kate Matson, a deputy secretary of Victoria's health department, said there had been a "significant improvement" in test turnaround times in recent weeks.
Tens of thousands of PCR tests were deemed invalid in January after pathology clinics were overwhelmed and could not process tests within seven days.
Ms Matson said 97.4 per cent of PCR test results were now being returned to people within 24 hours.
Wait times to get a PCR test also blew out to multiple hours in January at many sites across Melbourne, with staff forced to suspend testing.
But with less COVID-19 spreading in the community, Ms Matson said it is currently taking an average of five minutes for Victorians to get a PCR test across the network.
Those still struggling to get their hands on a rapid antigen test should join the queue for a "gold standard" PCR test, she recommended.
It comes as COVID-19 hospitalisations continue to trend downwards in the state, falling by another 20 to 687 on Saturday. Eighty coronavirus patients remain in intensive care, with 31 on a ventilator.
Ms Matson expects hospitalisations to keep falling but cases to either increase slightly or stabilise, due to increased movement.
"Melbourne is certainly a more buzzing place than it was a couple of months ago," Ms Matson said, adding the proportion of infections among those 19 and under has risen this week since students returned to classrooms.
"We'll just watch the case numbers closely and help our health system to manage their hospitalisation numbers."
The fall in hospital cases has allowed non-urgent elective surgery to resume at 50 per cent of normal levels from Monday in Victorian private hospitals and day procedure centres.
Health Minister Martin Foley said a further expansion of elective surgery would depend on updated health advice, taking into account the state's seven-day rolling average for hospital case figures.
Before the month-long suspension of category two and three procedures, Victoria's elective surgery waiting list had ballooned from 67,177 to 80,826 in the final three months of 2021.
Australian Associated Press
