Australian Defence Force, State Emergency Service and St Johns personnel will start driving ambulances in Victoria amid a COVID-19 related surge in demand.

Ambulance Victoria says in the past two weeks the service had reported four of its five busiest days in history.

Victoria’s triple zero call system also experience near record levels of demand.

For the first time in Ambulance Victoria’s history, two paramedics will no longer be deployed to each ambulance.

Instead, a paramedic will be joined by a driver from the Australian Defence Force, St John Ambulance Australia, State Emergency Service, or a student paramedic.