A high school in Sydney's Blue Mountains has been closed after a person tested positive for coronavirus while the NSW premier prepares for talks with her national counterparts about how to contain the infection.

Katoomba High School will be closed on Friday after a member of the school community was diagnosed with COVID-19, the school said on its Facebook page on Thursday.

The state's health department is working to identify any people the confirmed case has been in contact with.





katoomba-h.schools.nsw.gov.au

Students and staff have been told to self-isolate for the next few days and will later be advised if the school will re-open on Monday.

Gladys Berejiklian will on Friday attend a Council of Australian Governments meeting in western Sydney, where measures such as mass school closures and shutting down large events or gatherings will be on the agenda.

NSW is ramping up efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, which authorities warn could infect as many as 1.6 million in the first wave of a statewide outbreak.

AAP

By Thursday evening there were 78 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in NSW, including a barista who worked at Pastadelli in Wahroonga on Sydney's upper north shore.

Of the 126 Australian cases reported, 24 of these cases are reported to have recovered.

Chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant says preparations are underway for 20 per cent of the state's eight million residents to catch COVID-19.

Oscar-winning US actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson were on Thursday confirmed to be infected and were hospitalised on the Gold Coast.

Wilson last Saturday performed in front of more than 200 at the Sydney Opera House.

READ MORE Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson test positive for coronavirus while in Australia

The Sydney Opera House is getting in touch with anyone, including patrons and staff, who came into contact with the couple during the performance.

Dr Chant expects every person who becomes ill will pass it on to 2.68 others on average - although this could be reduced through self-isolation, social distancing and handwashing.

The World Health Organisation has declared the global crisis a pandemic, sounding the alarm about mounting infection rates and slow government responses.

NSW Health is planning to double the state's intensive care unit capacity and double the availability of ventilators.