Victoria's state coroner is investigating the deaths of five residents at an aged care home linked to the state's coronavirus outbreak.
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Judge John Cain has asked Victoria Police to compile evidence about the deaths at St Basil's Home for the Aged.
Victoria has recorded more than 160 deaths from COVID-19, with at least 20 linked to the Fawkner aged care home.
The investigation is currently limited to five of those deaths.
As of Wednesday, 159 coronavirus cases were linked to St Basil's, 84 of them residents.
The coroner says the focus of the investigation will be determined once evidence is provided to the court.
St Basil's management has been accused of failing to comply with a requirement to tell federal regulators of an outbreak.
Federal officials say they were not aware of an outbreak until the state government notified them on July 14.
Management of the home says state authorities were notified on July 9.
Asked if aged care operators could be charged under the state's industrial manslaughter laws, Premier Daniel Andrews said it was not up to him.
"The director of public prosecutions and Victoria Police would be the arbiter of those matters," he told reporters on Thursday.
"On the notion of the inquiry, on police investigating these matters, again, that's at arm's length from the government."
Australian Associated Press
