As it happened: Victoria records 11 new COVID-19 cases as Berejiklian, Palaszczuk trade barbs over Qld border closure; Australian death toll stands at 897

Thank you so much for joining us on the blog today. We'll be back bright and early tomorrow morning with more important updates on Australia's COVID-19 situation.

Recapping the top stories from today:-

• There are fewer than 200 active cases of COVID-19 in Victoria for the first time in more than three months, with 11 new cases announced on Friday.
• NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the community needed to be shocked out of complacency after five more locally acquired cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on Friday morning.
• Melbourne has a 50 per cent chance or less of meeting thresholds for coronavirus restrictions to be eased on October 19, according to new Doherty Institute modelling.
• NSW Health staff are growing increasingly concerned that COVID-positive foreign diplomats exempt from hotel quarantine are a vulnerable gap in the state's coronavirus defences.
• Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles says they have not been "intimidated" by the Prime Minister over the border issue with NSW, but worries that NSW has "given up" on reaching 28 days with no community transmission.
• Queensland police have fined 16 carnival workers $4003 each after they entered the Sunshine State using incorrect border passes on Monday.

NSW Health has confirmed that a nurse at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney has tested positive for COVID-19, and worked a single evening shift on Wednesday October 7 while infectious.

"It is believed the nurse provided specialised care to a single patient, and had limited contact with a very small number of colleagues," a statement read.

"Contact tracing is underway and the source of the infection is under investigation, though it is believed the source of infection occurred outside the hospital."

In addition, anyone who was at Westfield Parramatta from midday to 12.15pm on Tuesday October 6, or midday to 12.30pm and 4.30pm to 5pm on Wednesday October 7 is now considered a casual contact, and encouraged to monitor for symptoms.

The racing industry is hoping against hope that crowds, even if in limited numbers, will be able to make their way onto Melbourne's celebrated racetracks over the next month, with the spring carnival kicking into top gear on Saturday with the Caulfield Guineas.

Racing Victoria has given the go ahead for restricted numbers of media to attend Caulfield this weekend but owners and spectators are still on the outer, despite the fact that owners will be allowed to attend country venues from next Monday.

Racing minister Martin Pakula acknowledged that the Melbourne Racing Club, Moonee Valley Racing Club and the Victoria Racing Club, who stage the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup respectively, are desperate to bring atmosphere, colour and movement to their venues to preserve some semblance of normality in this most abnormal of years.

"We're working very closely with the metropolitan clubs on their aspirations for their big spring race days," said Pakula, who stressed, however, that decisions are contingent on wider circumstances as the government seeks to continue to flatten the coronavirus curve.

"We'd all love to see connections and maybe some racing fans there during our group 1 classics but we don't want to jeopardise our steady exit from restrictions, nor would we want to put at risk the amazing job racing has done to continue right through this pandemic."

WNBL players are grateful to be on court but preparing for the toughest campaign of their careers, playing a six-week, condensed season, starting in north Queensland next month.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the deal on Friday, which will see the eight WNBL sides play 14 games each in 32 days, with the top four making the finals. Finals will involve a qualification semi-final and elimination semi-final, a preliminary final and the grand final.

Players have also taken a 15 per cent pay cut for those above the $13,000 minimum wage and shortened the term of their contracts to fit the shorter season.

Canberra Capitals co-captain and Australian Basketball Players' Association delegate Kelsey Griffin said players would do everything they had to so they could play.

"We as female athletes understand the sacrifices that need to be made to play sport, especially this year," Griffin said.

The Queensland government's decision to host the season may prove vital to the Australian Opals' hopes of winning a gold medal at next year's Tokyo Olympics, given many of the national team will be playing, including Liz Cambage, who has signed with Southside Flyers, and WNBA championship winner Ezi Magbegor with Melbourne Boomers.