More than 200 annual reports of departments and agencies were tabled in state parliament on Thursday, including Ambulance Victoria.

A noticeable blowout in ambulance response times was reported over the 2020/21 financial year, in which the state endured three lockdowns.

The proportion of emergency code one incidents, which are time-critical and require lights and sirens, responded to in 15 minutes or less fell from 82.3 per cent to 77.2 across the state.

It was a similar trend for urban centres with populations of 7500 or greater, with code one times dropping from 87.6 per cent to 82.5 per cent.

"The easing of restrictions towards the end of 2020 saw demand increase across the health system, placing significant pressures on emergency departments and waiting times for ambulance crews and their patients," the Ambulance Victoria report reads.

Health Minister Martin Foley said deferred care demand had "skyrocketed" across the country.

"That is why all states and territories joined together very recently to raise with the commonwealth now is the opportunity for genuine partnership to re-imagine how our public health services including ambulances are dealt with," he told parliament during question time.

Code one cases grew by 4.3 per cent year-on-year, as did non-urgent code three cases by 10.5 per cent due, in part, to "special triaging procedures related to the pandemic".

Cardiac arrest survival rates declined, as stay-at-home orders and other restrictions led to fewer occurring in public and fewer patients being treated with public access defibrillators.

"The time taken to commence resuscitation and to first defibrillation was extended due to the application of PPE in all cardiac arrest cases," Ambulance Victoria said.

"This, among other factors, contributed to the decline."

Meanwhile, elective surgery delays were also highlighted after all non-urgent category three types were paused last year to ease pressure on the health system during the state's deadly second wave.

According to the Department of Health's annual report, the pause spurred a fall in the percentage of category three elective surgery patients admitted within 365 days from 95.3 per cent in 2019/20 to 80.5 per cent in 2020/21.

In that same span, 61.8 per cent of semi-urgent category two patients were admitted within 90 days - down from 76.1 per cent.

The Victorian government set aside $300 million in its 2020/21 budget to address non-urgent elective surgery delays.

OTHER AREAS IMPACTED BY COVID-19:

PRISONS

* During 2020/21 there were 2406 adult prisoners tested and isolated due to displaying COVID symptoms or COVID-related risk

* As at June 30, 2021, Corrections managed 28 coronavirus-infected prisoners without any known prisoner-to-prisoner transmission

* 186,760 video visits were held across public and private prisons as an infection control measure

ADVERTISING

* The Department of Premier and Cabinet spent a combined $18.6 million on two COVID-19 advertising campaigns - Staying Apart Keeps Us Together and Stay Safe Stay Open

TOURISM

* Tourism expenditure in Victoria dropped 69 per cent to $9.8 billion in the year ending March 2021, due to the dual bushfire and COVID-19 crises

MUSEUMS

* Museums were closed for 24 weeks due to the pandemic

SMALL BUSINESS

* Demand for the Victorian Small Business Commission nearly doubled, with 5175 people seeking help to resolve disputes. More than 4000 of those were over commercial rent relief

HOTEL QUARANTINE

* COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria (CQV) formed in December 2020 and since then has processed 38,690 people, conducted more than 310,000 daily staff tests and more than 12,000 vaccination doses administered

POLICE

* Support for border closures, international hotel quarantine and additional operating expenditure for cleaning and personal, protective equipment contributed to increased spending by the force

* 500 police members used in Operation Sentinel to enforce the chief health officer directions

Australian Associated Press