Novel coronavirus: updated advice

The updated advice to the public, health services and general practitioners is:

• As of 1 February 2020, the case definition for a person suspected to have contracted novel coronavirus has been expanded. Any person who has an acute respiratory infection and has been in mainland China or has had close contact with a confirmed case of novel coronavirus in the 14 days prior to onset of illness should be tested for the infection.
• As a precaution, people who have been in mainland China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) are advised to self-isolate if they were in mainland China on or after 1 February 2020, when the risk of human to human transmission across many provinces of mainland China was identified to have significantly increased.
• If a person who has been in mainland China on or after 1 February 2020 begins to feel unwell and develop shortness of breath, a cough or respiratory illness during the 14 days since they were last in mainland China, they should seek medical attention. Call ahead to your GP or emergency department and mention your travel to mainland China.
• The Australian Government has announced travel restrictions and has advised that visitors from mainland China who are not Australian citizens or permanent residents or their dependents will not be allowed entry into Australia. The Australian Government has also recommended that Australians should not travel to mainland China at the current time.
• This is a rapidly changing situation. Please go the Novel coronavirus page for updates.

Telephone hotline

The Department of Health and Human Services has established a telephone information hotline for the public at 1800 675 398.

Doctors who are reporting a potential case should call 1300 651 160.