New health orders are now in force in a bid to balance Victoria’s surging Omicron wave and keep essential services operating.

Victoria’s growing COVID-19 caseload has been crippling supply chains and industries, as more and more workers are forced into isolation after contracting the virus or being identified as close contacts.

From today, close contacts who work at supermarkets, in food and drink manufacturing and at distribution centres will be allowed to continue working if there’s no other option to keep operations running.

Under the new health orders, the booster shot is now mandatory for workers in healthcare, aged care and disability, emergency services, jails, hotel quarantine and food distribution centres.

Workers in those industries who are already eligible for a booster jab have until February 12 to receive their third COVID-19 vaccine dose.

Workers not currently eligible have three months and two weeks from the date of their second dose deadline to get a third dose.

New limits also apply for visitors to hospitals and aged care facilities, with five visitors per resident permitted per day if negative rapid antigen test results are provided, or two per day if rapid tests cannot be obtained.

Indoor dancefloors are now banned, except for at weddings.