Half of Victoria's coronavirus deaths were cancer patients in the same hospital ward.
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The death of a third cancer patient at the Alfred Hospital on Thursday brought the state's virus toll to six people, and Australia's to 24.
"Sadly, since this morning, we have been advised of a 6th COVID-19 death - a woman in her 60s who died in a Melbourne hospital last night," Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton tweeted on Thursday.
A woman in her 70s also died in a Melbourne hospital on Wednesday night.
The Alfred Hospital said another two virus patients from the haematology and oncology ward remain in a stable condition while two other patients in the ward died late last week.
Ten staff are also infected and recovering at home. The hospital has introduced further restrictions on visitors and put in place temperature screening of all visitors.
The number of confirmed cases in Victoria has grown to more than 1000.
As of Thursday morning, 36 people were hospitalised with the virus and six were in intensive care.
The further spread of the virus comes as 4000 healthcare workers, including retired doctors and nurses, have volunteered to assist the Victorian government with its response to the virus.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency will reach out to retired workers to help them refresh their registration.
"We'll then be looking to match up these skills with healthcare services across the state," Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said.
The state government has also finalised a deal with major private hospitals, under which they will be operating as one with the public sector when infections are expected to peak locally in late May or June.
The private hospitals will be giving public access to their 9000 beds, including 170 intensive care beds.
"It will not matter whether you have private health insurance, everyone will be treated equally," Ms Mikakos said.
The Victorian government announced on Thursday that all its MPs will donate the pay rise they will receive in the 2020-2021 financial year to COVID-19-related causes.
Victoria has also expanded its COVID-19 testing criteria.
Police officers, child protection workers, homelessness support workers and paid or unpaid workers in health care, residential care and disability care are now being encouraged to get tested if they develop symptoms.
Immunosuppressed patients admitted to hospital and patients in high-risk settings such as military operation settings, boarding schools, prisons and correctional settings are also being told to undergo testing if they become sick.
The development comes as a staff member at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre tested positive on Wednesday.
That person is now recovering at home, while others who came into contact with the staff member are being notified and entering 14 days of self-isolation.
Professor Sutton confirmed more than 100 healthcare workers had been infected to date.
The majority of them contracted the virus outside of work, through international travel or coming into contact with confirmed cases.
The state government is also urging people to have their annual flu shot.
The government is giving pharmacists the ability to administer the jab outside their normal location, such as through mobile or outreach services.
Pharmacists can give the shot to children aged 10 or older, and can also administer the measles-mumps-rubella, meningococcal ACWY and whooping cough-containing vaccines to people aged 15 years of age and older.
Australian Associated Press
