The record number of deaths, tweeted by the Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday, takes the state toll to 267 and the national toll to 352.

More information on those who succumbed to the virus will be given later on Wednesday.

Victorian authorities had warned deaths would continue to rise given the number of people in hospital with the virus.

As of Tuesday, 650 people were in hospital and 43 of those in intensive care.

More than 150 of Victoria's overall deaths have been from aged care homes.

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Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton told a parliamentary inquiry 20 deaths a day was "relatively modest" compared with what was happening in other parts of the world.

Wednesday's record number of deaths comes amid a war of words between the state and federal governments over Victoria's botched hotel quarantine scheme.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the Australian Defence Force had not been on offer to guard the hotels when the scheme began.

But Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said ADF support had been offered to Victoria on multiple occasions.

Jobs Minister Martin Pakula, whose department co-ordinated the hotel quarantine scheme, is due to face the inquiry on Wednesday.

- AAP

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