"We will be meeting again on Sunday to consider that further advice on the implementation of those arrangements, and we will provide further advice at that point." He also raised concerns about disruption to international supply chains, including relating to medical equipment. Loading WA Health Minister Roger Cook said he would cancel international travel plans at this point and Prime Minister Scott Morrison also recommended Australians reconsider non-essential overseas travel. "If I had plans for international travel today, I would cancel them," Mr Cook said.

Mr Morrison said his advice applied to any destination offshore in what is known as a "level three travel advice" for all Australians leaving the country. "This is done to protect their health and to limit their exposure, given we have so many countries now that are affected," Mr Morrison said. "Only essential travel should be considered if you are going overseas from this point forward." As event cancellations picked up pace across the country, including Mandurah's Crab Fest and HBF Run for a Reason, he warned those organisations hosting large events should listen to the advice of health authorities. But he was waiting for advice about mass gatherings and testing regimes to come through from national authorities before commenting on what measures WA would implement. COAG was being briefed on these issues at the time.

"It's important that people really make sure they do everything they can to protect themselves," the Minister said. "If you are planning a large event it is up to you to take stock ... if you are unsure, seek the advice of medical authorities or the COVID-19 hotline." Mr Cook said two big concerns for WA was the shortage in protective gear for health workers, and the global shortage of the reagent used to conduct coronavirus tests in the laboratory. He revealed more than 2000 people had been tested so far in WA. WA now had 14 confirmed cases, and they were testing about 750 samples per day. Results were taking 48-72 hours.

"If people are experiencing any cold or flu-like symptoms you should self-isolate and seek medical attention," he said. A new laboratory was opening on Friday to increase the state's capacity to test. In terms of schools, the Minister said he was waiting to see sustained community transmission before considering closures. "When we have sustained community tramsission and acting on the basis of that ... the closure of schools is anticipated in our pandemic plans," he said. The Minister said WA would need to move at some point to an announcement that anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms should be isolating themselves without being tested, as the numbers of tests requested grew and resources could not cope.

"We are still at the point where if we can test people with flu-like symptoms who have travelled overseas or had contact with someone who has, then we can isolate them ... but there will come a time where we have to make the decision that anyone with symptoms must simply self-isolate," he said. Paramedics protected St John Ambulance paramedics in Perth will wear protective masks boss Michelle Fyfe has warned some people might feel are "confronting". The masks were reusuable as they were able to change the filters on them. She asked people to use the COVID-19 hotline and keep 000 for an emergency. "We have had a number of calls in relation to COVID-19 but we haven't seen a massive increase," she said.

Five new cases of coronavirus in WA were confirmed overnight and the Premier has warned people against travelling to Bali amid fears Indonesia many be under-reporting. WA Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson told ABC Radio Perth the initial information indicated there had been no community spread. Path labs are stretched. Credit:Sharon Smith "The information is just coming in now ... I haven't got full details on these cases, we believe they've come from overseas but we'll have to check that," he said. Dr Robertson said WA's pathology services had been stretched to the limit with staff conducting between 800 and 1000 COVID-19 tests per day.

Loading "[The tests] are not just coming in from the COVID clinics, they're also coming in from GPs and other hospitals," he said. "The fact we’re only getting a couple of cases out of thousands of tests suggests a lot of the people who are coming for testing through either their GPs or COVID clinics don’t require testing." He said the strain on pathology services was causing some test results to be delayed, requiring people to self-isolate longer than the estimated 2-3 days. "People are obviously worried and that's understandable but it's placing an enormous strain on our pathology service to try and get these tests through and we can only do so many runs," he said.

"Each run has only 80 samples in it, we’re already doing 10 runs a day, they're working as fast as we can but it is overloading our pathology service. "We just have to ask for people's forbearance and their understanding that they are doing the best they can and if they don't get it in exactly 24 hours or 48 hours, we will get it to them as soon as we humanly can." 'Think twice before travelling to Bali': Premier Premier Mark McGowan has meanwhile expressed concern about the number of people travelling to and from Bali over fears Indonesia is under-reporting coronavirus cases.