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Victoria has recorded 507 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases and another fatality ahead of the release of a comprehensive plan for easing lockdown restrictions.

The death is the eleventh of the state's current outbreak, which now also counts 5262 active virus cases in total.

Health authorities said 43,441 vaccine doses were administered in the 24 hours to Saturday evening and more than 58,000 tests conducted.

Meanwhile, the state government is supporting the development of a new finger-prick test that can identify if someone is immune to COVID-19 within 20 minutes by measuring neutralising antibodies.

While the technology will not check for current COVID-19 infection, it will predict a person's immunity to new and emerging variants of the virus and identify whether someone needs a booster shot.

The test, a collaboration between the Burnet and Doherty institutes, is currently in the prototype stage.

"Other rapid tests don't measure the important 'neutralising antibodies' that block virus infection. This is the advantage of the COVID-19 NAb-Test," Doherty Institute Professor Dale Godfrey said.

Premier Daniel Andrews is expected to release the state's long-awaited roadmap later on Sunday morning, including dates for school students to return to campus and for businesses to reopen.

Late last week, about 120,000 doctors, nurses, paramedics, and allied health workers urged the state government to prioritise the health system and its workforce over easing restrictions.

Through their unions, the health workers called for "accurate modelling" on expected ambulance demand, hospitalisations, intensive care patients and deaths.

More than 200 Victorians are in hospital with the virus, 56 in intensive care, and 40 on ventilators as of Saturday.

Of those in hospital, 87 per cent had not been vaccinated, 12 per cent had been given a first dose and two people had been fully vaccinated.

On Saturday police arrested 235 people at an anti-lockdown rally in Melbourne that saw violent confrontations and officers hospitalised.

Ten police were hurt while dealing with the rally, with injuries including a broken elbow and broken nose.

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WHO PLAYS WHO IN NRL FINALS, WEEK THREE (All times AEST)

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

First preliminary final

South Sydney v Manly at Suncorp Stadium, 7.50pm

Manly sent a reminder of how dangerous they can be in their 42-6 shellacking of the Sydney Roosters, as Tom Trbojevic again ran rampant. But a different challenge awaits on Friday night. South Sydney's effort to shut down Penrith's attack a week ago showed they are now closer to the complete game than ever before, making them favourites to reach the decider. They also have attacking weapons in Cody Walker and Adam Reynolds. However, it's unlikely the Rabbitohs will want to get caught in a high-scoring shootout. Souths easily knocked over Manly in the wet back in round two, but the Sea Eagles are significantly improved since then. The teams have not met in the finals since the opening week of 2014, when the Rabbitohs blew Manly out early before wrapping up the game 40-24.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

Second preliminary final

Melbourne v Penrith at Suncorp Stadium, 4pm

The match up most had pencilled in for a second straight grand final comes a week early after Penrith were forced to do it the hard way against Parramatta. And it will still only get tougher for the Panthers. While Melbourne were off resting their bodies on the Sunshine Coast, Penrith were forced to fight through the lowest scoring and arguably most intense game of the season. Viliame Kikau's knee could linger as a point of concern alongside Brian To'o's ankle, while Mitch Kenny is likely to need a miracle to overcome a "pretty serious" ankle injury. Penrith beat Melbourne in a thriller in the opening month of the season, while their second game was a write-off with Penrith seriously depleted. But the reality is the Storm are a far better side than they were in March, while Penrith need to return to that form.

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An investigation has been launched after a woman's body was found on the NSW Mid North Coast.

Emergency services responded on Saturday about 11.30am after reports the 34-year-old woman had been found in a cabin on Pole Dump Forest Road, Bulga Forest.

A crime scene was established, along with a second one three kilometres away in relation to a silver Holden Rodeo utility.

A 38-year-old man, who was known to the woman, is assisting police with their inquiries at Taree Police Station.

Police are appealing for anyone with any information to contact Taree Police Station or Crime Stoppers on 1800-333-000.

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France considers that it is in a "crisis" with Australia and the United States after the cancellation of a multi-billion dollar submarine order, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian says.

Le Drian said on Friday he was recalling France's ambassadors from both countries over a trilateral security deal also involving the United Kingdom which sank the submarine contract with a French firm.

Le Drian also said President Emmanuel Macron had not spoken with US President Joe Biden about the submarine issue.

"The fact that, for the first time in the history of relations between the United States and France, we are recalling our ambassador for consultations is a grave political act that shows the intensity of the crisis today between our two countries and also with Australia," Le Drian told France 2 television.

"There has been duplicity, contempt and lies - you can't play that way in an alliance," he added.

Australia announced on Thursday it would scrap its 2016 deal with France's Naval Group to build a fleet of conventional submarines and instead build at least eight nuclear-powered ones with US and UK technology after striking a trilateral security pact.

Le Drian again drew a parallel between the US president's action and the unpredictable style of his predecessor Donald Trump, adding that Biden had acted "without the tweets but with a sort of solemn announcement that is rather unbearable".

The minister also repeated criticism of what France sees as opportunism from former European Union member the UK in joining forces with the US and Australia, calling London "the spare tyre" of the initiative.

Meanwhile, Europe Minister Clement Beaune told French television that the UK appeared to have become a "junior partner" to the US as part of the AUKUS military alliance.

"Our British friends explained to us they were leaving the EU to create Global Britain. We can see that this is a return into the American lap and a form of accepted vassalisation," Beaune said.

"The UK is clearly trying to find its feet, perhaps there was a lack of thought about the strategic future. Today they are hiding in the American fold. I hope that will not be their policy for the decades to come."

with PA

© RAW 2021