An emergency nurse who died after contracting COVID-19 is believed to be the first Victorian hospital worker to be killed by the virus.
Gillian "Jill" Dempsey died while in intensive care at Box Hill Hospital on Sunday afternoon, her employer Eastern Health said in a statement.
Ms Dempsey started working for the hospital in 2007 and was a "beloved night shift nurse in the Angliss Hospital Emergency Department".
"An incredibly caring wife and mother, Jill is survived by husband Michael and their three children," Eastern Health said.
"Her loss will reverberate around the tight-knit team at the Angliss Hospital and our thoughts are with her family, friends and colleagues at this time."
On Wednesday, Victorian premier Daniel Andrews thanked Ms Dempsey for her years of service to the state.
"Can I on behalf of all Victorians say how sorry we are to hear someone who committed their entire working life to caring for others has lost her life in the service of others," Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters at parliament.
"She was double-vaxxed, she was wearing PPE, she was doing all the right things, but she's contracted the virus and as we've said so many times this can be deadly.
"We thank her and her family for many years of dedicated care, we honour the contributions made to our state."
Ms Dempsey's union, the Victorian branch of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, told the ABC she was the first hospital worker in the state to die from COVID-19.
The ANMF believes she contracted the virus while at work.
"This is something we feared and a sobering reminder that nurses, midwives and all healthcare workers are on the pandemic frontline," the union said in a separate statement.
"We acknowledge their bravery and courage. This is a reminder of how vulnerable they are."
It comes as Victoria recorded 1179 fresh COVID-19 infections and six deaths on Wednesday.
The health department confirmed on Wednesday the state is now managing 11,959 active infections.
There are 299 COVID patients in the state's hospitals, with 43 of them are actively infected with the virus in intensive care and 18 requiring ventilation.
The seven-day hospitalisation average is 296.
Virus testers processed 74,252 results on Tuesday, while 4045 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 in state-run hubs.
About 91 per cent of Victorians aged over 12 are fully vaccinated.
