As mandatory third jabs became the law for key industries and workers in Victoria, the state has witnessed four more deaths and a surge in hospitalisations.

The latest fatalities were announced on Sunday along with 5192 new cases.

The cases include 3434 from rapid antigen tests and 1758 from PCR lab tests, the health department confirmed on Sunday.

The number of Victorians in hospital has grown by 20 to 195. Of those, 25 are in intensive care and eight are on ventilation.

After being pushed back, the deadline for COVID booster shots kicked in for aged care, disability, emergency service, meat processing, quarantine and food distribution workers as of 11.59pm on Saturday.

The mandate also affects contractors, volunteers and students on placement, who must have received their third dose if they want to remain employed.

Healthcare workers who received their first jab before September 12 will also be required to have their third.

Active cases in the state remain steady at 40,606.

Victoria has 62.5 per cent of adults vaccinated with three doses, as mandatory jab rules come into effect for key workers.

After being pushed back, the new deadline has passed for aged care, disability, emergency service, meat processing, quarantine and food distribution workers to get their third jab by 11.59pm on Saturday.

It means these workers – including contractors, volunteers and students on placement – must have received a third dose to attend work or hold a valid exemption.

Healthcare workers who received their first jab before September 12 are also now required to have their third dose.

Culture vs COVID

Meanwhile, a new late-night, weekend-long cultural event has been unveiled in a bid to entice more locals and tourists into Melbourne after two locked-down years.

Art After Dark Melbourne, inspired by Europe’s Night of Museums, will offer a program of free and paid experiences from May 13 to 15 across the city’s leading galleries, museums and other cultural institutions.

The Arts Centre Melbourne, Federation Square, Australian Centre for the Moving Image, State Library of Victoria and Melbourne Museum will participate and remain open until 1am for the program’s first two days.

Victorian Creative Industries Minister Danny Pearson said the event would draw tens of thousands of visitors into the CBD in a prospective boon for its night-time economy.

“There’ll be no early bedtime for our creative institutions that weekend,” he told reporters on Sunday, the third day of Melbourne’s annual Moomba festival.

“We know that the night-time economy has suffered through COVID. This is going to absolutely zhoosh up Melbourne.”

The full Art After Dark program will be released at a later date.

-with AAP