Victorian businesses are being implored to help employ thousands of workers who have lost their jobs due to coronavirus, as the state records its 12th death from the disease.
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A woman in her 80s died of COVID-19 in a Victorian hospital on Tuesday.
Premier Daniel Andrews revealed the death on Wednesday and confirmed the number of cases in the state had reached 1212, an increase of 21 from the previous day.
Community transmission accounts for 101 of the state's cases.
The continued spread of the illness comes as the Victorian government is appealing to businesses to help thousands of people who have lost their jobs in recent weeks find work.
Almost 1300 people have so far found employment through a part of the state government's $1.7 billion economic survival package.
Jobs include 450 roles linked to the quarantine program for returning travellers, more than 60 people preparing care packages at FoodBank, and others working in government call centres.
More than 2500 people are expected to have landed jobs through the program by the end of next week, but in excess of 50,000 individuals have registered for it.
Mr Andrews said many of those people will have registered before the federal government announced its own JobKeeper package, aimed at keeping people in work, and won't need the Victorian service anymore.
Jobs Minister Martin Pakula nonetheless is urging businesses to help those still looking if they can.
So far 30 businesses have expressed interest in being matched with displaced workers.
"There's lots of individuals who have registered but we really want businesses to sign up," Mr Pakula told reporters on Wednesday.
"We're asking businesses to think laterally. There is a huge pool of workers available now, many of whom are trained, many of whom we'll have to provide some training for."
The minister said food or pharmaceutical production companies may be in need of fresh workers if a confirmed case of COVID-19 shuts down one of their production lines.
The food delivery and manufacturing sectors may also need jobs, he believes.
The state government has so far refunded $384 million in payroll tax to about 17,000 businesses under its coronavirus measures, and will have paid $50 million in grants to 5000 businesses by Wednesday.
Mr Andrews has also reiterated the need for Victorians to stay at home over the Easter long weekend.
"I haven't looked at the weather forecast, I hope it's pouring rain all weekend, I seriously do," he told reporters.
"That will discourage people from doing the wrong thing. That's what we saw last weekend, and the numbers today reflect that."
Police have been busy in the 24 hours to 11pm on Tuesday, conducting 835 spot checks at homes, businesses and non-essential services.
In that time period, officers issued 114 fines.
Among those fined were nine people found socialising at a Rebels bikies clubhouse in Sunshine West.
Since March 21, police have done 16,039 spot checks.
Australian Associated Press
