* A travel ban on Italians arriving in Australia will come into force from 6pm on Wednesday, adding to existing bans on residents of China, Iran and South Korea.

* $2.4 billion in federal funding has been set aside for the coronavirus health response.

* A wide range of respiratory clinics will be federally funded, from drive-through clinics in South Australia to hospital-based services.

* Experts say Australia is still in a "containment mode" but an epidemic is possible, lasting as short as eight weeks or as long as 14 or 16 weeks.

* A treatment for COVID-19 will take researchers at least a year to develop.

* The federal government will unveil an economic stimulus package on Thursday, focusing on business, families, pensioners and welfare recipients.

* State, territory and local government leaders will be asked at COAG in Sydney on Friday to come up with their own additional responses to boost the economy.

* Federal parliament will be asked next week to approve legislation to deal with the virus.

* Health authorities are closely watching the situation in the United States which was "a bit slow" in responding to the virus outbreak, according to Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy.

Australian Associated Press