* Victoria recorded five new cases on Thursday, all linked to Melbourne's northern suburbs outbreak, and no further deaths.

* It keeps the state's death toll at 817 and the national figure at 905, with only one death in the past week.

* The outbreak in Melbourne's north has forced some 500 people into quarantine, shut down two schools and left five suburbs on high alert.

* Despite the cluster growing to 36, Premier Daniel Andrews insists Victoria remains on track for a further easing of restrictions on Sunday.

* A Victorian health department staffer is under police investigation over a leak of the state's COVID-19 roadmap that the premier initially dismissed as "out of date".

* Victorians will be spared police drones buzzing over their backyards for Saturday's AFL grand final day, but fans are being urged not to squander COVID-19 gains in the "last quarter".

* Police have also warned protesters face two separate fines if they attend an anti-lockdown rally at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance.

* Australian businesses are urging state and federal leaders to restart domestic travel by Christmas, warning border restrictions are costing $319 million a day.

* Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who will host the 30th national cabinet meeting with the premiers on Friday, said the Christmas reopening remained his aim.

* Australian Human Rights Commission president Rosalind Croucher says the impact of emergency COVID-19 powers on human rights must be given more attention.

* NSW Health is urging people who attended the Bathurst 1000 motor race and local residents to monitor for symptoms after coronavirus was detected in raw sewage. The state recorded one local case on Thursday and six infections in hotel quarantine.

* A diplomat aged in his 70s became the first case of COVID-19 in the ACT for 104 days. He flew into Sydney from overseas on October 9 before driving into Canberra where he has been quarantining.

* A crew member from the plagued Al Messilah livestock ship has been hospitalised in Western Australia as the state recorded eight new COVID-19 cases. All eight cases are returned overseas travellers in hotel quarantine.

* Queensland authorities are mulling over what to do with the COVID-19 infected crew of a cargo ship off the state's coast amid fears they could carry a mystery strain. No cases were recorded in Queensland on Thursday.

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KEY DATES

* October 26 - Tasmania's state of emergency due to expire and people from low-risk states free to enter.

* November 1 - More restrictions due to be eased in Melbourne and regional Victoria. Queensland border reopened to NSW visitors subject to conditions being met.

* November 2 - Residents from NSW could be allowed into Tasmania, with the situation being monitored. Regional Victorian residents allowed to travel to the Northern Territory if case numbers remain low.

* November 6 - Victoria's hotel quarantine inquiry report due.

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AUSTRALIAN CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS

* There were 21 new cases in Australia - eight in WA, seven in NSW, five in Victoria, and one in the ACT.

* The national death toll is 905: Victoria 817, NSW 55, Tasmania 13, WA 9, Queensland 6, SA 4, ACT 3. (Two Queensland residents who died in NSW have been included in the official tolls of both states.)

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GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS

* Cases: at least 41,236,000

* Deaths: at least 1,131,000

* Recovered: at least 28,122,000

Data current as of 1845 AEDT October 22, taking in federal and state/territory government updates, Worldometer and Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre.

Australian Associated Press