The victims, who were aged in their 70s, were being treated in the inner south-east Melbourne hospital's oncology department. They were the first people in Victoria to die from the disease. The Alfred hospital said it was undertaking a full investigation, including contact tracing, to identify the source of transmission, which is still unknown. The two Victorian men who died from coronavirus were cancer patients in the oncology department at The Alfred hospital. Credit:Wayne Taylor Those who had contact with the patients have been notified and have isolated in line with current health advice and guidelines, the hospital said. The hospital has confirmed all staff at risk of COVID-19 were isolated and tested for the virus. It is understood haematologists were among staff exposed to the virus. Access to the oncology ward has been restricted.

The Alfred has stressed that other cancer patients on the ward are continuing with their required treatments within the hospital. New cancer patients in need of urgent care are also still being admitted to the hospital, but they are being treated in other wards temporarily as a precaution. In a statement on Friday afternoon The Alfred hospital expressed its deepest condolences to the men's families. Alfred Health chief executive Professor Andrew Way said the situation was distressing for staff, patients and families involved, and a full investigation was under way. “It is important that we complete the contact tracing to truly understand what has happened, and I appreciate how upsetting this is for everyone involved,” Professor Way said. “This situation highlights how devastating the virus can be for vulnerable patients. I urge the community to follow health advice and to self-isolate if they’re unwell. We need to act now to protect those at risk in our community.”

The coronavirus outbreak at the hospital has highlighted the increasing complexity of dealing with the virus, which has already raised unprecedented difficulties for hospitals across Australia. Hospitals are faced with the uphill challenge of not only protecting their own staff from contracting COVID-19, but of also caring for infected patients and identifying the deadly disease in other patients who may present with other illnesses or who are unaware they have contracted the disease. It is understood the men who died were being treated in the hospital for blood cancers. This week four emergency department healthcare workers, including three doctors, at Werribee's Mercy Hospital tested positive to COVID-19. The source of that infection also remains unknown.

Scientific evidence increasingly suggests that people with cancer have a significantly higher risk of severe illness resulting in intensive care admissions or death when infected with COVID-19, particularly if they have recently had chemotherapy or surgery. Blood cancers in particular suppress the immune system, while chemotherapy and medication for any cancer heighten the dangers posed by viruses. Such cancers also affect the bone marrow's ability to produce adequate numbers of healthy blood cells, putting people at far greater risk of infection than the general population. Loading Research on the impact of coronavirus on cancer patients is limited, however, one study from China found that of 18 COVID-19 cases in people with a history of cancer, almost half had a higher risk of requiring ventilation or of death. A third man died from coronavirus in Victoria on Thursday, while another three people are fighting for their lives in intensive care.

A total of 574 people in Victoria had been diagnosed with coronavirus as of Friday afternoon, an increase of 54 from Thursday, with 22 people remaining in hospital. The cases include 332 men and 241 women, with people infected aged from eight to 88. There are 16 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Victoria that may have been acquired through community transmission. Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said her thoughts were with the families of the men who died this week. "My heart goes out to them, as well as the staff at the Alfred Hospital," Ms Mikakos said late on Friday.