Due to the spread of coronavirus, thousands of Australians are currently in self-isolation or quarantine — a list that is only likely to get longer.

Even those who aren't required to isolate themselves have been told to avoid public gatherings, and punishments can be severe.

The rules for self-isolation are fairly strict and well-documented — if you are required to self-isolate, stay in your home and do not come in contact with any other people.

But some people haven't been taking the guidelines as seriously as others and have been putting the public at risk as a result.

And the rules for how we can or can't gather in public are even more vague.

All this has led to the obvious question — what can the authorities do to police this?

Queensland police begin crowd 'compliance checks'

Police in Queensland have announced they will start monitoring crowd numbers in venues across the state's party precincts from tonight to ensure they are abiding by strict limits on non-essential indoor gatherings to under 100 people.

Outdoor mass gatherings of more than 500 people have also been banned across the country to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Queensland Police said from Saturday night, a joint taskforce also involving the Office of Liquor and Gaming would descend on venues to ensure they were satisfying the restrictions.

They have warned the public they may be turned away from venues "when capacity is reached for their own health".

People have also been told to limit their attendance at venues to less than two hours' duration.

Police have warned they have powers under the Public Health Act to issue penalties to those who do not comply.

Who is in charge of monitoring people in self-isolation?

When it comes to self-isolation at home, police also have the authority to hand out punishments for those not abiding by the self-isolation rules, but they will likely only be called upon to act in such cases as a last resort.

State health authorities have taken the lead in ensuring those in isolation comply with the rules, beginning with the issuing of notices to people in the at-risk categories — specifically those who have returned from overseas or have come into contact with confirmed cases.

Anybody returning to Australia from overseas must self-isolate for 14 days. ( ABC News: James Carmody )

If a person was suspected to have breached an isolation notice, Queensland Health said it would initially offer guidance "to ensure they not only understand their obligations, but also the importance and seriousness of self-quarantine" given the circumstances.

Should the same person transgress again, Queensland Health said it had the power "to enforce isolation at a specified location", which would generally either be that person's home or a hotel room.

Should it go any further than that, police would start to get involved and fines and other penalties would ensue.

Victoria Police also said it had "the powers to assist the chief health officer if requested and DHHS if there needs to be any enforcement activity".

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Earlier on Saturday, Victoria Police confirmed officers had been conducting spot checks on people who had been directed to isolate under the advice of the chief health officer.

"For operational reasons, we will not disclose how these checks are being undertaken or how many have been conducted so far," a police spokesperson said.

"At this stage, no-one has been charged with refusing or failing to comply with direction."

Government calls on public to assist

We have also heard from key Government figures that the responsibility lies with all of us to ensure we are abiding by the self-isolation advice properly.

Chief medical officer Brendan Murphy has repeatedly stressed how important it is people isolate themselves after returning to Australia from overseas and urged people to encourage their fellow citizens to follow the rules.

"This issue of quarantining when you come home is serious," Dr Murphy said.

"This is not an advisory, this is your civic duty to your fellow Australians. Stay home for that entire 14 days if you've come back to Australia — no exceptions.

"If you see anyone who is not abiding by that … make sure they do because we are really serious about that."

The need for vigilance has been highlighted again in NSW, after almost 2,700 passengers from a cruise ship that had carried COVID-19-infected passengers docked in Sydney.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said every passenger was now "under strict conditions" and NSW Health had contacted all passengers to reinforce the importance of self-isolation for 14 days.

Mr Hunt similarly addressed the recent scenes on Bondi Beach, which saw significant patronage despite the push for social distancing — so much so that the beach has now been temporarily closed.

"What happened in Bondi was unacceptable and the local council must take steps to stop that from occurring," Mr Hunt said.

"This is all of our responsibility, each of us. I would say to everybody, we are all in this together."

Serious penalties could apply

Every state has their own laws and potential punishments, which range from fines to jail time.

In New South Wales, breaching a public health order could bring a fine of up to $11,000 and even six months' jail time.

In South Australia, the maximum penalty is $25,000, in Queensland it is $13,345, in Victoria it is $20,000 and in Tasmania it is $8,400.

In Western Australia, punishment could be as severe as a $50,000 fine or even 12 months' imprisonment.

Despite the variance, each state is clear that repeatedly disobeying the self-isolation orders is a serious offence and will be punishable.