Virus ban extended to South Korea

Australia will ban travellers from South Korea and introduce enhanced screening for travellers from Italy to deal with the coronavirus spread.

It follows similar action relating to China and Iran.

"We've got ahead of it early and we intend to stay ahead of this," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Canberra today.

Visitors from South Korea will be banned from 9pm.

Australian citizens and permanent residents returning from South Korea will be asked to self-isolate for 14 days when they return home.

Travellers from Italy will be asked mandatory questions at check-in.

Anyone who fails the checks will be denied approval to board an aircraft.

On arrival, passengers won't be able to use electronic gates but rather will be dealt with by government officials who will ask further questions and undertake health screening measures.

The announcement comes as WA's third coronavirus case was confirmed.

The woman, aged in her 30s, had been to Iceland and London, and then returned to Perth via Dubai.

State Health Minister Roger Cook said exactly where she had been and who she had close contact with was being ascertained.

WA Chief Health Officer Andrew Robertson said the woman self-isolated at home as soon as she became unwell the day after she landed.

The risk to those who travelled on the same plane as the woman was low as she was asymptomatic at the time, Dr Robertson said.

He said she was in a stable condition.

WA's two other cases were also contracted outside the state.

James Kwan, 78, died in a Perth hospital on Sunday after contracting the virus on the Diamond Princess cruise ship off Japan.

It was the first coronavirus death in Australia. His wife later also tested positive to COVID-19.

Worldwide it has spread to 80 countries, with 95,000 confirmed cases and 3,250 deaths.