Victoria now has more coronavirus deaths than the rest of Australia combined.
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Nine more fatalities reported on Wednesday brought the state's total to 92 and the national figure to 176.
While the number of new cases dropped to 295 from 384 announced on Tuesday and 532 on Monday, Victoria's aged care outbreaks remain a major concern.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced every positive COVID-19 case should expect a knock on the door.
Australian Defence Force personnel and public health workers have been visiting the homes of known positive cases who could not be contacted, but from Thursday they will door knock all known cases.
Mr Andrews said of the 500 visits already done, people were not home for 29 of them and those cases were referred to police.
"If you are supposed to be at home isolating, then you are supposed to be at home doing just that," he told reporters.
"These door knocks aren't just about checking people are where they should be, it's also an opportunity where we can say to them, 'what can we do for you, what do you need'?"
The premier said all families and cases were unique, and varied requests were to be expected.
The new deaths on Wednesday were two people in their 90s, five in their 80s, one in their 70s and another aged in their 60s, Mr Andrews said.
Seven of the nine are linked to private aged care facilities.
Following state and federal intervention into the besieged aged care sector this week, patients are being being transferred from the worst-affected homes.
So far 80 residents have been transferred out of St Basil's Homes for the Aged in Fawkner, 34 residents transferred from Epping Gardens and Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth has had 30 residents transferred.
Mr Andrews said nurses from hospitals had also been redeployed to short-staffed nursing homes, with 400 shifts already filled.
The latest state government figures released on Wednesday show there are 952 active cases linked to aged care, with 87 facilities having active outbreaks.
"It is not the fault that those facilities have outbreaks," said federal health department secretary Brendan Murphy.
"We know that residents and families have often observed breaches ... These incursions of this virus into these facilities are essentially unavoidable."
Mr Andrews reiterated the government's ongoing message that Victorians must stay home if they are at all unwell in order to drive down case numbers and prevent further outbreaks.
"If you are sick, you cannot go to work. If you are sick you cannot go to the shops," he said.
"If you are sick there's only one thing to do and that is to get tested and to get tested quickly, and then to stay at home."
It's been announced up to 50 South Australian nurses will travel to Victoria to help with its fight against a surge in cases.
Australian Associated Press
