Victorian aged care staff could be banned from working at multiple facilities to help curb the state's second coronavirus outbreak.
Australian Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd said it was his understanding that Victorian authorities were considering putting a stop to the practice.
"A residential aged care facility has its own plan for dealing with the pandemic and for protecting the people under their care," Prof Kidd said.
"I know that a number of the facilities are looking at ensuring that their workers are only working in one site at this time while we're in lockdown with serious community transmission.
"But whether there'll be broader requirements, I think is something that we've got to wait to hear from our colleagues in Victoria."
As coronavirus numbers in Victorian aged care homes continue to increase, it's putting the spotlight on casual work in the sector.
Some of the state's biggest outbreaks are in aged care facilities, with 31 cases now at Essendon's Menarock Life, while 23 cases are linked to Glendale Aged Care in Werribee.
Estia Health in Ardeer on Thursday reached 21 total cases and St Basils Homes for the Aged has five in that outbreak.
Victorian Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said the nature of aged care employment was often casual.
That meant several workers were moving between different homes, which is why all staff with even the slightest symptoms should be tested and isolate immediately.
"They still have to do that work, they're still going to be in close contact with those residents, but outside of the work setting they need to minimise their exposure as much as possible," he told reporters earlier on Thursday.
Prof Sutton said some cases had occurred because of staff movement between the care homes.
"We have seen some seeding between one aged care facility and another because of staff who work across those facilities," he said.
"We provided a policy guidance to ask aged care facilities to minimise that to the fullest extent possible.
"We also know that some wouldn't be able to function if they didn't have that flexibility in place, but it's a risk and we need to manage it as best we can."
Despite many of the cases in aged care facilities being among staff, Prof Sutton said it was the elderly who were most at risk.
"This is where the virus manifests in the people who are most exposed to it, and those individuals who are most vulnerable and the deaths that have occurred," he said.
While several aged care residents who contracted the virus have been hospitalised, it was not necessary for all positive cases to be admitted, Prof Sutton said.
"It's a judgment on each and every setting and each and every case," he said.
Victoria recorded two more deaths on Thursday - men in their 80s - bringing the state's virus death toll to 29 and the national figure to 113.
Australian Associated Press