Victoria's chief health officer is talking up the safety of Pfizer's paediatric COVID-19 vaccine as his state and others wait final clearance for five- to 11-year-olds.

The young cohort is to soon become eligible for the vaccine after it was provisionally approved by the nation's medicines regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Premier Daniel Andrews had previously wanted to make a start on vaccinating the age group before the end of the school year.

But the rollout it is expected to begin from January 10, once signed off by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation.

"While we await ATAGI's advice, the TGA's provisional approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged five to 11 is very welcome news for Victoria," Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said on Monday.

"This is an effective vaccine that has been safely administered to millions of young children around the world.

"Vaccinations are already a part of life for families with young children, and now we'll have another one to help keep them as safe as possible at school and home."

Victoria has 91.6 per cent of people aged 12 and over already double-dose vaccinated.

It comes as businesses reopen in Ballarat after hundreds of protesters gathered at Civic Hall on Sunday carrying Australian and Eureka flags in opposition to vaccine mandates and new state pandemic laws.

Midtown Cellars and Bar, in the heart of the regional city, was inundated with "threats and hate speech" after posting a sign on its door that it would not open until the "tantrum leaves town".

Negative Google reviews of the business have since been removed and the store reopened on Monday.

Victoria reported 1073 new local COVID-19 infections and another six deaths on Monday from 56,337 test results.

The state is managing 16,503 active infections, none of which are of the new Omicron variant.

Mr Andrews has reaffirmed Victoria won't pursue an "Omicron zero" strategy and will keep its borders open after South Australia reimposed testing requirements for all arrivals from Victoria, NSW and the ACT on Saturday over Omicron fears.

VICTORIA'S COVID-19 DAILY NUMBERS:

* Ages of latest deaths: 40s to 90s

* Death toll across the pandemic: 1378

* Hospital patients: 310, up 11

* Seven-day hospitalisation average: 299, up five

* Actively infectious ICU patients: 45

* Cleared ICU patients: 45

* Patients on a ventilator: 19

* Vaccine doses at state hubs: 1513