It comes as the Murrumbidgee Local Health District recorded 681 new cases on Wednesday, while Wodonga recorded 65.

Indigo recorded 20 new cases Wangaratta recorded 43, Alpine 42 and Towong one.

Victorian Education Minister James Merlino said schools would 'absolutely' be starting as planned on January 28 for teachers and January 31 for students.

"We want our kids in front of their teachers, with their classmates, day one, term one this year - it's just so vitally important," he said.

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Earlier this week, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the school term would be beginning on January 28 as planned with rapid antigen testing playing a key role.

"There will be challenges as we move through the return-to-school program but ultimately we can't let perfection be the enemy of good," he said. "We need kids back in class."

Mr Merlino said 20,000 of the promised 51,000 air purifiers had been delivered to government school.

He guaranteed the rest would be delivered before school starts.

The department of education did not respond to a request to clarify how many North East Victorian schools would receive purifiers.

NSW implemented their own air purifier program last year. However all Southern Riverina schools were assessed as having sufficient ventilation and did not receive purifiers.

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